Heart Shaped Goggles
by Taiki Matsuki
Summary: Related to Hidden Behind The Computer: Koushirou's fan fiction and the events of Hidden Behind The Computer retold through the eyes of different characters. Uploaded with Original Author's permission.
1. Chapter 1

**Ori's Note:**

Before you read this fic, you should probably read "Hidden Behind the Computer." This is a, ah, pre-mid-se-quel-ish-y-play-within-a-fic-like- _THINGY_ to HBtC, I guess (You'll see what I mean when you start reading...If not, well, I obviously tried and failed miserably! What else is new _?_ ). I'll explain more in the notes at the end but the idea behind this is a long story. And, yes, the italics _are_ intentional.

Just trust me on this one, it's a _**very**_ different format from my usual fics but, well, I felt like I _had_ to do this one, especially with how Taiki and I kept joking about what led up to me finally _writing_ the damn thing! And if I had to write this I had to make it special, too. Especially since...Well, you'll see why at the end.

This is a very special fan fic for a very special person, a person very dear to us all, especially me...

... _TWERP-CHAN SAID YES!_ *Sniff* Taiki, you're the best closet case editor I could have ever hoped for! _Thank you!_

[ **EDITOR'S NOTE:** Ori, while I am **incredibly** proud of the fact gay marriage is now legal across the entire country the answer is and forever shall be "Despite whatever evidence to the contrary you come up with, I am straight and you're BEYOND insane." Sorry. But as Ori said you will understand why we chose to upload this fic in particular at the end. -Taiki Matsuki]

Also, a translation note since I tend to use the Japanese version's names for Digimon: Hangyoumon are "Divermon" (The humanoid frog-like Digimon with scuba gear) in the English dub. _Remember this!_ It's important. Also, regarding movie 6 (Tamers – Runaway Locomon) this movie _isn't_ exactly in continuity with Tamers: It was written _without_ consulting the original staff and Chiaki Konaka so it _kinda_ conflicts the original Tamers ending. I _sorta_ play on this with this fic...Even though it's 02 but—You'll see! You'll see!

...Gods, I think my new RA meds are _REALLY_ messing with my brain right now. Zhuge Liang, _HELP ME! PLEASE!_ I'll buy you a new feather fan...!

Oh, and yes, this _is_ an Adventure 02 fic! Do _not_ let the italics fool you and, trust me, they will try to. Do NOT trust the italics! No matter what!

 _Trust no-one..._

 _...Who writes in full italics._

Finally, Lopmon's gender: In the original version, while Digimon are officially genderless, when Xiaochun teaches Lopmon Non-Archaic Japanese (think the Japanese extent of Shakespearean English) she has him refer to himself with _masculine_ pronouns. The dub went with feminine pronouns, possibly due to the fact the "Lopmon learns modern day Japanese" episodes aired _after_ the dub had already picked a gender. I'm not 100% sure.

Finally, the reason why there aren't any end-fic notes until the final chapter is because thsi was originally one _massive_ fic. Then we realized the word count was a helluva lot higher than we first thought so Taiki suggested splitting it up and uploading it all.

Anyway, _enjoy!_

 _-_ Ori\Zi Jian

 **EDITOR'S NOTE:** I just want to note that with the heavy use of italics and the problems we've had with formatted italics this fic may contain a few errors in the form of line breaks or italics missing in places they should. I did my best to fix all of the errors but some continued to pop up in the document editor even after being corrected. Apologies if this makes for any hard to read parts of the fic, I honestly did the best I could. Please, try to enjoy! -Taiki " _WHY_ DO _ITALICS_ HATE _ME?"_ Matsuki

* * *

 _Heart Shaped Goggles  
By Jenshirou Izuda_

 _The battle against D-Reaper, they all thought it had cost them their partners for so long. It was over a year before Yamaki got them back using the gate Takato had found. It took a lot of work, so much of Hypnos' resources and almost cost him his position as head of Hypnos, but Yamaki-san brought them back. After all they did for the city and against D-Reaper? Yamaki didn't care what the higher ups in the government said: The Shinjuku District_ needed _The Digimon Tamers. All of Japan needed them..._

 _...And they were proud to be back, especially as the threat of Apocalymon and Demon loomed over both the Real and Digital World. The chaos and destruction brought by D-Reaper allowed them to move in and seize power from Baihumon, they were also responsible for the reemergence of Wild Ones._ _O_ r _as some of the Tamers, namely Hirokazu Shiota, called them the_ WILDER _Ones, which is what gave Yamaki the extra motivation to bring back the Tamers' partners. Though, Yamaki had not expected the new Wild Ones to be even more dangerous than the ones that appeared before due to Demon's corruption: As shown through various police reports, news outlets and one particular incident that left Yamaki at the receiving end of Jenrya Li, Ruki Makino and, according to some rumors around the Hypnos staff, even_ Juri Katou's _fury. An incident that could have cost the Tamers their designated leader, Takato Matsuda, if not for his cousin Kai Urazoe's help: These "corrupted" Wild Ones had little to no qualms with attacking, injuring or_ killing _humans, the Tamers were in more danger than ever but they all stepped up to the call without hesitation. Or, in the case of some, without_ approval _from Hypnos. Not that it would stop them._

 _Hypnos formed a "Digimon Taming Squad," consisting of the six original Tamers (sans Shiuchon Li) and Juri Katou. Hypnos was now dedicated to the research of the Digital World and it's relationship to Earth, as wel as the protection of it and Earth from rogue Digimon with the Digimon Tamers._

 _Though, a new group of Tamers arose now that Digimon were appearing once more, Kai Urazoe being their leader much like his cousin led the "Hypnos sanctioned" Digimon Tamers. Upon receiving his partner, a Seadramon, he came to Shinjuku to assist his cousin, Takato, and eventually form a Non-Hypnos affiliated group that acted much Takato and the other Tamers before they left for the Digital World the first time_ and _aided them whenever possible, much to Yamaki's annoyance. Though he realized their usefulness after a rather close call. Yamaki-san had become less and less vocal about Kai Urazoe's "rogue" Tamers._

 _But, before their return, it all seemed hopeless. Takato, especially, was torn up by the loss of Guilmon. Jenrya, of course, believed that this might one day happen, though what he had thought was "goodbye forever" to Terriermon still hurt more than he ever expected it to should that day come. His little sister, Shiuchon, also took things hard. She not only lost her favorite "stuffed toy" but, once she learned his secret and (somehow) found herself in the Digital World with a partner of her own, lost her new best friend: Lopmon. Or, during one of the few "play times" she, Terriermon and Lopmon had together, "Big Brother Lopmon" to "Baby Terriermon." Terriermon's protests went unheard by Jenrya for almost an hour, but his Tamer eventually came to the rescue, though Jenrya's words of "Better late than never" were lost on the diapered, bonneted and very annoyed digimon. Terriermon missed Jenrya and, to a slightly lesser extent, Shiuchon: He even_ allowed _Shiuchon to "play house" with him and Lopmon upon their return, saying that even_ he _missed "playtime" to some small degree..._

 _...Thankfully, by then, Shiuchon had matured past being "Mommy" to "baby Terriermon" and "big brother Lopmon." Much to Terriermon's_ joy _when their "playtime" was a simple tea party (with_ lots _of sugar in his tea, Lopmon opted for no sweeteners, to which Terriermon enthusiastically proclaimed_ "More for me~!" _). Even Jenrya joined in for "old time's sake," which made his little sister happy...As well as his elder brother in the sense he thought the scene of Jenrya sipping tea from a bright pink plastic cup with his little sister, two Digimon_ and _the company of half a dozen stuffed toys to be_ absolutely hysterical!

 _Still, after their partners' return to The Digital World, Jenrya found himself consoling Takato more than anyone else during that year. Takato, as Jenrya found out from Hirokazu and Kenta, never even owned a_ pet _. Not even a goldfish, let alone a_ real _Digimon like Guilmon, a partner_ he _created, a partner that was so much more than a "pet," a partner that was his best Digital Friend. His treasured friend._

 _Jenrya also had a treasured friend in Terriermon but, slowly, he came to wonder..._

 _...Does that "treasured friend" exist in_ Takato _as well? Jenrya often wondered if it might be a little more than that, especially as he and Takato were spending more time together at the Hypnos labs when "on call," when Wild One appearances peaked. They shared one of the living quarters Yamaki-san had set up at Hypnos as did Ruki and Juri, then Hirokazu and Kenta with their own rooms respectively, Ryou Akiyama was the only Tamer without a roommate and that was due to his tendency to stay in The Digital World with Hypnos research staff: Ruki often joined him when needed to fight Apocalymon – Sakuyamon and Justimon made for a formidable duo of fighters. Despite Ruki's contempt for "Akiyama," even she would scornfully agree that they made a very good team...If "Akiyama" wasn't there to hear it._

 _During that "on call" period, they were sent off to fight any Digimon at any time. All of them_ hated _the ones that realized at midnight to two-thirty, those tended to be on the receiving end of some of their frustrations, Ruki's in particular: A rogue Gekomon learned the hard way that Ruki Makino is_ not _a morning person,_ especially _at any time between 12:01 AM and 7:59 AM. Yamaki-san was stunned as he read her report of the mission: Renamon ended up on "the sidelines" for_ that _particular Wild One incident, Ruki wanted to express her vexation_ personally...

 _When "on call," Jenrya got a break from Shiuchon's antics (or_ Rinchei's _and_ his _new "best friend" that Jenrya was not amused by in the least), Takato got a break from the bakery where Kai took over his regular chores to thank his Uncle and Aunt for letting him stay with them. Takato often missed the bakery, he would often call to check in on things or ask if he could bring bread over to Hypnos for his friends (a request that was_ always _happily granted, Kai especially liked to make the deliveries as it allowed him access to Hypnos' "Digimon Tamers Control Center."). Jenrya found himself doing the same with his own family but not as often due to his father now being a part of Hypnos as the second-in-command of the Hypnos Digital World Study And Defense Laboratory (the official name of the organization to the public). Janyuu Li was the designated commander of the Wild One Monitoring system and Control Room for the Tamers, often working in the field with his son or the other Tamers._

 _Jenrya would think about this "Takato situation" off and on but, in the back of his mind he knew: Even if he was "like that," something he had begun to deny to himself less and less over time, Takato surely wasn't "of that persuasion." It was a hopeless endeavor, regardless. Takato had feelings for Juri Katou, he was so sure of it it. Everyone was, even Ai and Makoto were aware of it and they only spent time hanging out with Shiuchon – Often helping "inspire her" when it came to the pranks she would pull on Jenrya (and to a lesser extent: Her own Father) until he agreed to speak to Yamaki about letting her join the others in Hypnos, something Jenrya adamantly refused to even consider due to the danger. No matter what she did. From stealing his lunch and replacing it with stuff he won't like (and, once, assorted office supplies. which included a stapler placed between two slices of bread) to signing him up on advertisers' mailing lists online to hiding his wallet to erasing his video game saves to password protecting his screen saver when he was gone to making sure his bath water was ice cold, his answer was still a firm_ "NOT IN A MILLION YEARS! NEVER!" _From a thoroughly annoyed Jenrya, Shiuchon knew_ exactly _how to provoke him, a dangerous game she was_ very _good at playing. A dangerous game that her_ eldest _brother was more than willing to help coach her for. Jenrya quickly realized his youngest and eldest sibling were a dangerous combination, a_ very _dangerous combination, especially for his mental health._

 _Actually, on the subject of the Li family, Hypnos and one Kai Urazoe: The Digimon Tamers were slightly divided since their partners' return. Although Impmon was capable of evolving freely, his Tamers (Ai and Makoto) were kept as far away from the "front lines" a possible by Hypnos and Yamaki. Shiuchon got similar treatment, despite her insisting she could help, Jenrya forbid it as did his father and Yamaki, though their elder brother, Rinchei, was "all for" the idea, saying that_ he'd _watch out for her, thankfully for Jenrya's nerves: Janyuu still forbade it, though, unfortunately for_ their _nerves, Rinchei and Shiuchon were not ones to necessarily follow the rules. Unlike Shiuchon and Rinchei, Jenrya knew full well the risks involved in Digimon Taming. Especially after "the incident" that left him absolutely terrified of possibly losing his "treasured best friend," Takato. One he was horrified to even remember, one that led to him screaming at Yamaki-san for almost a full hour without letting the department head get so much as a word in...He had_ never _been so angry, terrified and, to one Kai Urazoe,_ thankful _in his entire life._

 _The dangers were especially apparent now, he'd found himself having to fight against one or two rookie to champion level Digimon that snuck up on him and got past his partner in a fight using the martial arts he'd been practicing for so long. Much like the time with that one Hangyoumon in the Digital World – Though Hangyoumon were now a terrifying memory for him and, especially, Takato. Takato, thankfully, was safe in the end but it was obvious the incident left a lasting impression of the Tamers' leader, as much as he tried to hide it._

 _Jenrya had never been more thankful for those years of Tai Chi lessons than that time he barely managed to disarm and subdue a Goblimon, turning its own club against it before Terriermon could_ finally _reach him to assist in the fight. Ruki had also been in similar situations but, thankfully, none had yet to be injured and only received a good scare and rush of adrenaline. Ruki may not have had formal training in martial arts, she wore steel toed sneakers_ for a reason _._

 _The Hypnos "squad" had been a small rift in the Li family, actually, Shiuchon_ wanted _to help while Jenrya and his parents forbid it, though Jenrya's mother wasn't exactly on board with the idea of_ either _of them joining Hypnos but she knew her son was capable of doing what Hypnos asked of him after seeing him take on D-Reaper. But the days Jenrya would suddenly leave to perform his "duty" and be gone for extended periods of time were met with a tight, extended embrace from his Mother upon his return: All of the Tamers had similar returns with one or more family members. Lopmon, at least, was able to assist in a way similar to Impmon, Shiuchon could view what Lopmon saw in all evolved forms via her D-Arc, as she had done during D-Reaper's invasion (the fact she had to do this at Hypnos HQ_ did _make her happy, Jenrya, Janyuu and Yamaki humored her by acting as if she was more of a help than she really was – It helped ease the family tension somewhat). Lopmon was also Hypnos' representative to Zhuqiaomon and the remaining three Digital Gods still in power: Baihumon was in the midst of a war to regain the Western portion of The Digital World._

 _Kai Urazoe was also a part of this rift in the Li family, mostly through the fact that Rinchei was a supporter (and member) of Kai's "unaffiliated" group of Tamers. Jenrya did his best to ignore Rinchei, however, especially as he supported Shiuchon's request to help out more with Jenrya often saying, "I'll join up with you guys instead and fight alongside my brother and sister, she'll be fine on my watch!" But his offer fell of deaf ears, so he'd been with Kai and, often, showing up uninvited to Hypnos' missions or headquarters, he was a master of hacking the key card security system (or his "little buddy" would simply swipe one from a distracted guard). Yamaki-san was_ still _searching for the "leak" that was telling Kai and his friends of Wild One activity and who was being sent where – But after "the incident" with Takato, Jenrya told him the leak_ was a good thing _among other "not so kindly worded" arguments_ for _Kai's group, even_ if _Shiuchon and Rinchei were members of it. Yamaki grew less vocal, especially in front of Jenrya, Takato and Juri._

 _Often, however, the "rogue" group run by Kai ended up being "less than helpful" in the end, certain Li siblings in particular..._

 _...At least, that's what Yamaki-san and (to a lesser extent) some of the others_ said _to try to discourage Kai from putting himself in danger so often (Jenrya had been growing less and less vocal on this front since the Hangyoumon incident, Takato never really spoke for or against Kai and his friends as he didn't want to upset his cousin_ or _Yamaki). But Rinchei and his "buddy" were as controllable as Terriermon during a three for one sale on fudge bars at the sweet shop, especially if Mr. Li had left his credit card out in the open where it was most vulnerable (a_ grave _financial error on his part). And, given how Kai had saved Takato's life when Jenrya was completely_ powerless _to do anything but pray Takato could_ somehow _escape...Jenrya had to accept Kai's and, by extension, his brother's and little sister's help, even_ if _he didn't necessarily want it, because Kai and his Tamers_ were _a good thing in the end, something he was growing more and more desperate in trying to convince Yamaki-san._

 _Lately, though, Demon's Corruption of Wild of Ones had been less and less frequent, while Apocalymon's forces in the Digital World were held back for Baihumon by the combination of Ryou, Cyberdramon, Hirokazu, Guardromon, Kenta, MarineAngemon and Beelzebumon. On Earth, Ruki, Renamon, Takato, Guilmon, Jenrya, Terriermon and Lopmon remotely commanded by Shiuchon (and even then, Yamaki or Jenrya's orders would override her orders, save for the Card Slashes_ she _performed on her own) kept the Wild Ones at bay._

 _In fact, the "war" had come to enough of a standstill in The Digital World that the the Tamers sent there had returned home on a Hypnos Ark (an upgraded and more stable version of the original ark that brought them home the first time) a little over a week ago. Ryou was the only one to stay behind with Beelzebumon and Cyberdramon to keep a watch on things and aid Baihumon along with the other Digital Gods._

 _Ryou was the "leader" of Hypnos' Digital World "Crusaders" (those assisting the four Gods against Apocalymon) while Takato, due to his ability to become Dukemon, was considered the undisputed leader of Hypnos' Wild One Task Force on Earth (even though he was embarrassed by the title, Takato was always on the humble side and, often, delegated leadership to Jenrya or Ruki). Jenrya found himself as Takato's "second-in-command," despite the fact Jenrya often felt Ruki should have that title (she_ was _the Digimon Card Queen, after all), but Takato told him that, in battle, they worked together in almost perfect sync, Ruki was more of a "lone fighter," she'd even switch between the Earth and Digital World task forces depending on her mood. Jenrya felt a bit honored when Takato said he saw him as "reliable of a partner as Guilmon," he had trouble hiding his blush as his friend said that to him within their first month of working with Hypnos as their "Digital Defense Force." Especially as he said it while embracing his best friend in tears, it was shortly after the "incident," which Jenrya had felt so useless in. Had it not been for Kai, he was afraid he would have lost his best friend. To hear that best friend call him so "reliable" actually had a bit of a sting to it, though he didn't voice it and simply hugged his friend back and tried to hold back some tears. He felt anything_ but _reliable at the time but also knew, Takato was being truly sincere in his words,_ "Jen-kun, you're...You're my best friend and, without you, I'd feel useless as a leader. Without your help, I wouldn't know what to say or do, you should be our leader. Not me."

 _That was when Jenrya returned Takato's embrace and said,_ "Takato-kun, you...You're too critical of yourself. All of us look up to you, you're the one who created Guilmon, you found the gate that led us _to_ The Digital World. You were the firs to Matrix Evolve...And you're so much braver than you give yourself credit for. I agree, we work great as a team but..." _He couldn't finish his sentence as he held back a worried sob._

 _But when Jenrya showed doubt in what Takato told him, Takato said he meant it and was quick to point out: Kai saved him, Jenrya supported him and helped him recover from it. He wouldn't have been able to slash a card without Jenrya's help. It was true, Jenrya had to_ literally _take Takato's hand and slash cards for him because he was in such a panicked state. Jenrya was the one who managed to calm him down and tell him, as Takato put it,_ "You were _there_ Jen-kun, just having you there helped me...recover...enough to help Guilmon and Kai. Without you...I-I don't...I don't know what...could have happened...Ka-Kai wouldn't have even _known_ I was in trouble, you were the one to tell him to save me...You saved me just as much, Jen." _That was when Jenrya finally let out some tears, as did Takato. The next few days were very emotional for both of them, as well as the other Tamers. Juri and Kai, especially, feared for Takato. They both did what they could to support him and help him recover from the incident alongside Jenrya. Takato knew one truth to his position as leader: His friends would_ always _be there to support him if he needed it...And he never needed them more than he did during that period._

 _Even with the "return" of the, now legendary, Digimon Tamers there was one person often on Jernya and Takato's mind: Juri Katou. For both the same and different reasons, as far as Jenrya assumed. Despite Yamaki saying the squad consisted of_ seven _of the original Digimon Tamers (not counting Lopmon and Beelzebumon's support), the "official" count was six. And of those seven Tamers there was still one less Digimon: Leomon._

 _Juri still had no partner despite an experiment by Yamaki to extract Leomon's data from Beelzebumon, the process nearly killed Impmon, who still demanded the experiment continue but_ Juri _actually relented before Yamaki-san would, it was stopped at her tear-filled request, even though Impmon had actually said he_ didn't care _if the experiment killed him. The Digimon, ever since meeting Juri again, was wracked with guilt over his actions, he leapt at Yamaki's theory on how to "extract" Leomon's data from him...Even if the process failed in the end. A failure that devastated Impmon more than anyone else, he would have done anything to atone for his sins as Beelzebumon._

 _Jenrya had caught the aftermath of that experiment, Impmon was exhausted and injured but demanding Yamaki-san continue even if it killed him while Juri had run off to another part of the labs in tears. He found her, actually, in his and Takato's dorm. She was crying on Takato's shoulder, Jenrya listened in. She was upset for both the fact she was_ so close _to getting Leomon back but also her selfishness in what it had done to Impmon. Takato did his best to console her, that was one of the things that made Jenrya sure that Takato liked Juri...He was always there to help her, the new squad of Tamers still brought back a lot of bad memories for Juri. And the incident with Takato didn't help her, coming so close to losing her "treasured friend," as Jenrya was sure she saw him as if not more, maybe even the "same way" he did...In theory, Jenrya still questioned if_ that _was really the case for his feelings about Takato, a question he asked less and less because he feared what the answer truly was._

 _Takato was always the one who would get her through it and support her..._

 _...Takato was the whole reason Yamaki-san didn't say_ six _out of the ten original Tamers were a part of the new squad._

 _Juri was not an "official" Digimon Tamer but she still assisted as well as she could. In fact, she had become invaluable to them: She studied the card game_ endlessly _once the others got their partners back, she was their "card dealer," as the others liked to call her. She would come up with combinations, strategies and all kinds of card slashes specialized for each Tamer and their partner, as well as different combinations set up for different situations (flying Digimon, underground Digimon, demon types, mechanical types and, after the Hangyoumon incident, she put_ extra _care into her_ underwater _decks – Takato's_ _probably had the most cards for_ that _situation). Juri still wanted to help, even without Leomon..._

 _...The fact a few of her "combinations" for Guilmon and Takato included Leomon cards told Jenrya that Juri likely felt the same that Takato, in all likelihood, did for her. Jenrya also considered the idea his feelings for Takato were just a sign of their close bond as friends..._

 _..He hoped. If Takato_ did _feel the same way he did, though, he would be the first to admit: It was_ not _a situation he would at all object to. Jenrya, as much as he didn't want to even_ think _about his own orientation in such a way, knew, deep down, if Takato ever told him he liked him as more than a friend, the way he_ should _feel for Juri or even Ruki and_ not _Jenrya, not another male but, somehow, in whatever unlikely scenario Takato somehow_ did _feel the same way as Jenrya felt for him:_ Loving _Jenrya, of all the unlikely people in the world then..._

 _...Jenrya, when he thought about it knew he'd return those feelings without question. Of course, he didn't_ like _thinking about as it implied more than he wanted it to for himself but, often, he couldn't control it when he found himself alone in his dorm or bedroom at home. He couldn't resist the way just thinking of a dream he was ashamed to admit to having on less and less rare occasions actually coming true would make him smile, even if the smile barely hid the fear that was behind it._

 _It was early February, now, Terriermon was at home instead of on his head like before when he walked to school. He was at home voluntarily as Rinchei's "buddy" (Pi-kun, as the little annoyance was called by Rinchei) had gotten hold of some poor member of his family's wallet and ordered some takeout just as he was leaving, Terriermon and Pi-kun were both chanting_ "PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA! EXTRA PEPPERONI! PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA! _" together as he left in an annoyed huff, quickly checking to make sure it wasn't_ his _money they took, even if he was bringing a bagged lunch to school he knew better than to leave money out in the open at the Li apartment these days. Rinchei never should have taught Pi-kun how to use a phone, even_ if _it was "in case of an emergency" as Rinchei claimed. The emergency number and Takeyoshi's Take Out are two_ very _different "emergency contacts." Pi-kun was amazingly good at coming up with "excuses" as to why the latter was a "real emergency," often including the word "starvation" seven times...At the least._

 _That morning Jenrya cut through the park and found an unusual item sitting on a bench. He couldn't believe his eyes, letting out a laugh as he picked them up: The_ perfect _little gift to give Takato! He couldn't believe his luck as he scanned the nearby area, not another soul in sight! They were essentially abandoned, he felt like he could take them as a gift for his "treasured friend" as their previous owner seemingly abandoned the unusual item._

 _A pair of red goggles with heart-shaped lenses. Right upon seeing them, Jenrya thought to himself,_ "Maybe Takato might like these. At least, as a joke." _Saint Valentine's Day was coming up after all, who knows? Takato might at least like them as "decoration" like a heart shaped badge or a pair of cupid wings. Just a silly little joke gift between friends. A more "unique" and less "annoying" version of the mistletoe-on-a-fishing-pole-hat Hirokazu loved to wear at every Tamers Christmas gathering since D-Reaper, something festive for the current holiday and_ very _fitting for Takato Matsuda of all people. His goggles were a symbol of his status as the leader of the Digimon Tamers. So much so that even Kai had adopted the look to honor his cousin, he wore his old diving goggles from his days as an uminchu on his forehead, jokingly calling them a "divine mandate" that proved the leader of any group of Digimon Tamers. Takato once told Jenrya he was a flattered by Kai's enthusiastic mimicry of his trademark goggles._

 _Jenrya laughed to himself at the idea of Takato celebrating the day by spreading love through a pair of goggles. He had no idea where they could have come from, the name "Cupid" briefly crossing his mind before his denial quickly silenced that part of his subconscious. And he knew Takato would surely see them as a joke, not as anything_ romantic _...As much as Jenrya was ever-so-slightly willing to admit he_ wished _Takato would both see and, more importantly,_ accept _such a gesture as._

 _As the two shared the same class that year, Jenrya decided to give them to him at lunch._

* * *

Izumi Koushirou

* * *

Is that a good way to start it? I mean...I dunno, that stuff about Demon and Apocalymon, and the two "teams" Hypnos split them up into...It _is_ the set up for the second season and all but do I _need_ to remind the reader? I mean, as much as I put my own "spin" on the events of the show, they've seen the show, too! They've probably seen more than I have. Until Taichi and Daisuke's rants on "how freaking gay for Jenrya" Takato is and their arguments as to which one the character is based on (Honestly, it's _neither of them_ , I don't think _any_ of the Tamers are _directly_ based on us despite Toei Anime interviewing us for plot ideas, save for _a few_ elements of a couple of our lives they used for some characters: I honestly believe some of Jenrya's character was inspired by Iori), I never really was into the Digimon anime at first. I've seen only about half of the first season (watching it in order online: I missed _all of it_ back when it was on TV) while watching the second season...It was kinda confusing at first but I've got most of it down, now. I'm mostly tossing in stuff like that as a reminder for myself, I guess, I'm _still_ not as knowledgeable on Digimon Tamers as I should be just from watching the episodes almost completely out of order when I tried to catch it on television before I lost interest at first. I'll make a note of it at the end, a lot of it was my own take on the episodes and "reminders" for me as I wrote the story. I'm sure they'll understand. I mean, I didn't even _know_ who Pi-kun's _Tamer_ was when I first saw an episode with him flying around the Li's apartment-No, I didn't even _know_ Jenrya had an elder _brother_ at first, he didn't have a _single_ line of dialogue in the first season! They really expanded on Rinchei's character, Ididn't even _notice him_ in the background of the first season at times.

And Pi-kun _himself_ was a shock to all of us, Takeru _really_ wasn't happy when he first appeared, _Tailmon_ has been known to be especially vocal about his character. Though, his status as "comic relief" is making the two a _little_ more open to his presence, Takeru finally accepted Beelzebumon as a "good guy," he was _convinced_ he was going to betray everyone at the last minute...I don't even think _he's_ forgiven him for killing Leomon yet. Not that Takeru _doesn't_ have a good reason for suspecting it.

I know, I'm a Chosen Child (a title that comes with _immense_ popularity whenever Tentomon is with me in public, same goes for any of the others and their partners, too) and I _wasn't_ interested in the _Digimon anime_. You see, after BelialVamdemon's defeat, well, _everyone's_ been getting Digimon, practically! I mean, all those other Chosen Children that showed up to help us out that day? ...At this point, they were just the tip of the iceberg. So, I don't... _really_ have an excuse to not have watched it until, well, Taichi and Daisuke's "intervention," let's say. It's...complicated.

I guess the Digital World has some kind of "see a digimon, get a digimon" rule or something. Jyou's brothers are sort of _hoping_ they get a partner soon, too, with everyone else. Jyou, of course, warned them: " _What if it's another Gomamon?"_ Gods help the Kido family if all three Kido brothers have a Gomamon, _especially_ if the other two are like the Gomamon we all know, are driven insane by and (sorta) love. He's Jyou's exact opposite but the two _are_ best friends, Gomamon just has his "hyper mode" days...

...And is _easily_ confused by things like computers (for a data-based lifeform he knows _nothing_ of computers) and, especially, television. The latter of which he loves more than seafood and shrimp flavored chips – Gomamon _needs_ his thrice daily dose of anime, Super Robot anime usually being what _causes_ "Hyper Mode" because of the excitement: Jyou said he let out "screams and _tears_ of sheer joy" when they announced the latest Gundam series. Jyou's even bought him DVD sets for Christmas (despite being _lost_ on how a television works, Gomamon can _easily_ work a DVD player), if it's Gundam Gomamon _wants it!_ Just the last time I saw him and Jyou in public, Gomamon was _singing_ MISIA's "Orphans No Namida" from Iron Blooded Orphans at full volume. Jyou says he thinks it's his new "favoritest song EVER," as the Gundam-obsessed seal calls it.

For a creature _made_ of data, the time he tried to check Jyou's email for him via the phone (Long story short: Jyou was stuck at school and needed a phone number) was described by Jyou as "worse than asking my great grandmother to do it blindfolded." Gomamon (somehow) ended up forwarding the email to all of us _except Jyou_ by accident, so he got the number from Sora in the end.

But with the existence of the Digital World as common knowledge at this point and more and more people having Digivices and Digi-eggs pop out of their computers...Well, it's bigger than Pokemon could have ever _hoped_ to be. And I don't say that because I hate Pokemon, I say that because, to be honest, I _LOVED_ Pokemon as a kid! While Pokemon GO is the most popular app in existence right now, " _Digimon GO"_ (Taichi's nickname for a Digimon appearing via portable device) is a _real life creature_ that pops _out_ of your tablet or smart phone! And it's free!

Admit it, when you were, like, seven or however young you were when Pokemon Red\Green\Blue (or that "Yellow" version where you get Pikachu as your starter, like the show that's _still_ on after all these years) first came out, you _wished_ you could go on a _real_ Pokemon Quest, collect gym badges, battle Team Rocket and all that stuff. You'd day dream about what you'd do if you had your own Pokemon for _hours_ while either playing the video\card game or (like a certain Daisuke Motomiya admits to) when you were _supposed_ to be doing schoolwork in Sunday detention (which you got because you were reading the Pokemon manga hidden inside of a textbook while thinking, "Man, I wish I had my own Charmander – I'd show Team Rocket a thing or two 'bout how wrong it is to steal Pokemon!" As Daisuke once stated). You _wished_ it was all real and you know it, you also know you once _loved_ repeating the Team Rocket motto with friends while _playing_ Pokemon (or watching the show and saying it with them – I am _so_ guilty of this it's ridiculous, Musashi and Koujirou were my favorite characters) but that was back when they had about thirty or fifty episodes...It kinda got old around episode three hundred, you know?

...Okay, maybe I _still_ like to listen to Musashi and Koujirou's "Rocketto Dan Yo Eien Ni" image song now then _and_ say the motto when it gets to that part—Whatever, I'm getting off track here.

Anyway, just to sum it up: Everyone wanted a Pokemon back when Pokemon was the greatest thing to ever grace this Earth...

...And then people got _not only_ their own Digital Monster-friend _but_ one that actually _talks back_ in your first language instead of just repeating "Tentomon! To ten to mon ten mon! Tento! Tento! Mon! TENTOOOOOOOMOOOOOOON...!" *Bzzap!* I mean, the whole concept of Digimon these days ranks up there with an owl flying through your window with a letter from Hogwarts in its beak or you managing to build a working lightsaber _(kinda_ guilty, I think it's possible using a plasma loop held in place by a magnetic field, the only problem is a hilt-sized power source) _._ That was what it was like for a lot of the kids who suddenly got their own Digimon. I know one kid in my class couldn't stop talking about how amazing his partner Numemon—I repeat _NUMEMON_ —was. I never thought I'd see someone _excited_ about a Numemon of all things. And partners have managed to evolve as high as Ultimate level depending on the Chosen "Child" (adults are getting Digimon, too, we sometimes just say "Chosen" when we encounter one of them, Miyako's brother _does not_ like being called a Chosen _Child,_ but really likes his Falcomon partner. Shin and Shuu, as I said, are really hoping they'll get a partner soon), though it's only temporary. The highest level a Digimon seems to be able to _stay_ at on Earth (so far) is Champion (Tailmon and a Meramon I saw in the city being the only two I _personally_ know of). Most of the Digimon, right now, are in-training or rookie forms, they'll evolve to champion or ultimate (the latter being _very_ rare) now and then depending on the situation. We see a _lot_ of news reports about people who are in accidents or fall from high places that are saved by their partner evolving to champion or ultimate to save them. Digimon seem to have an innate sense to help humans in danger, especially their partner or people that partner cares about. A recent report talked about an averted car crash when a _pair_ of partners in both cars evolved and managed to avoid collision safely, one managing to pull both their partner _and_ their partner's sibling out of the car in time.

Actually, a _lot_ of online message boards are dedicated to people posting pictures of their evolved partners or telling stories of _when_ they evolved...

...A lot I think are fake based on, A, the names (Supermon, Hypermegawesomon, UltimateAgumon, HolyGodOfAllDigimonmon, etc. No, really, someone _really_ claimed they had a partner with a "Hyper Mega" form ending with "Digimon _mon"_ ) or, B, the kids claiming their Digimon went "from Mega to SUPER ULTRA MEGA level! We're not tellin' how we did it!" Uh, riiiiiiiight...I _totally_ believe every word of that statement. It's not like I've spent _years_ studying Digimon personally and have _been_ to the Digital World on a regular basis. How to be _able_ to get there is something which is _not_ possible for _everyone_ , actually, we're still trying to figure out what grants access, Gennai won't even tell _us!_

Granted, he might not _want_ free access between Earth and The Digital World for _everyone_ , there have been a few "incidents" with the new "Chosen" he hasn't been particularly happy about. Taichi's been acting as his "mediator" with parts of the Government now and then – Just through _phone calls_ , of course, he's never been on TV or anything like that (well, soccer games _aside)._ He _has_ gone to a few "top secret" government locations and met some equally "top secret" officials, though, he just joked, _"Sorry, Kou-kun, if I told you any more I'd have to kill you. Really, here's the cyanide-laced bullet they gave me. I got, like, a hundred more if you wanna keep one! You never know when a cyanide bullet might come in handy, like stopping a home invader or really annoying door to door_ salesman."

So, yeah, Digimon became even _bigger_ than Pokemon just on the grounds that it's _real!_ Though people don't have Digi-Battles and collect gym badges. Digimon _are not_ tools for fighting – Gennai actually had to _say this_ on television about six months ago: An address from The Digital World to Earth regarding all the Digimon popping up (The situation was bad enough to where he interrupted _all_ Earth digital television broadcasts _from the Digital World_ to explain this). We've had to break up a couple of said fights, too.

The words "But, we weren't fighting, we were having a Digi-battle" was the first time we've ever seen Daisuke _giving_ the "Are you a _COMPLETE_ moron?" stare rather than _receiving_ it – And, whenever _he_ sees one, Ken is verbally _ruthless_ because of his Digimon Kaiser days, he won't forgive "Digi-Battlers," for _obvious_ reasons. Ken's Kaiser-guilt trips are... _STILL_ common and as bad as you'd expect from the holder of the Crest of Kindness. Daisuke said in private (making us _swear_ not to tell him he told us this) that Ken went as far as apologizing to _Osamu_...I-I won't go into detail _how_ (you can... _probably_ make an educated guess as to _where_ he went) but he was so ashamed that he felt Osamu was owed an explanation and apology for "the monster" he became...Despite knowing the _real_ influence behind the Kaiser. Actually, Osamu comes up a _lot_ when he gets really upset about the past and, recently, something about him being afraid Osamu would be "even more disappointed in him" for, he never gave us any details...His expression _alone_ told us it was something he didn't want to talk about, even if Osamu wasn't a part of the source of his mysterious source of guilt. All I know is Daisuke was (and still is) acting as a _serious_ source of emotional support at the time and, as of late, Ken _has_ gotten better. All I know is that he told me, with a somewhat solemn smile, _"I know...without doubt that Osamu would...not be angry at me. I-I just...wish..."_ He...got emotional, wishing...Osamu was still here. Ken's elder brother is a topic we don't _dare_ to approach unless he mentions him first...And even then, we tread _carefully._ Wormmon is the one exception, he likes hearing stories about "someone Ken-chan loves so much."

Still, the idea of having your own best Digi-pal?

I take a quick glance to Tentomon, he's sleeping in his Tento-bed (a basket at the foot of my bed with an insect motif I made for him). I can't help but smile ever-so-slightly as he sleeps.

Best. Friend. _Ever_.

Of course, like Pokemon, there's a _billion_ forms of Digimon merchandise out there. From plush dolls, to the Digimon Card game (Iori is _obsessed_ and, actually, pretty good: He even met his "girl who happens to be my friend and NOT a" girlfriend through a card tournament, it's _obvious_ he likes her back but is just too shy to admit to it) and various toys and merchandise to the hit anime that's in the middle of its second season: Digimon Tamers...

...Which is _absolutely nothing_ like our adventure. Weird since, um, the anime company interviewed us _a lot_ for info on our adventures and just the general nature of Digimon. Daisuke came out of it expecting to sign autographs as the world's first "real life anime character" with V-mon...

...And instead, he's often mistaken for a really bad Takato Matsuda cosplayer (because of the goggles) – Which does _not_ make Daisuke happy in the _slightest_. He and Taichi argue over which of them Takato is based on. And both are convinced he's gay, too...Well, mostly Taichi (he _insists_ Takato and Jenrya have "a thing going on") while Daisuke just says "Takato's the gayest thing to hit anime since Gravitation. And he makes Gravitation look _completely hetero!"_ ...Yeah...Daisuke, um, _really_ hates Takato for being a sensitive crybaby instead of, well, someone like himself or Taichi. Taichi doesn't mind the show (he likes it) but Daisuke was really let down when Takato first flooded a room with tears. And the whole "artistic type" thing doesn't help his "image."

Plus there's the whole card slashing thing and digimon downloading each others' data, digimon dying for good (Takeru and Ken _really_ hate that and Mimi... _did not_ like seeing Leomon get killed by Beelzebumon for _very_ obvious reasons) and things like that.

We all have mixed feelings on various parts of the show but, for the most part, we all like it in general. Taichi and Daisuke are just annoyed by the fact they didn't get to be anime heroes. Taichi told me how, at the "premier party" for Digimon Tamers' first episode (held at his place, I missed it due to schoolwork), Daisuke showed up expecting a tough, shounen anime-esque hero ("Like me!" To quote the "hero") and left _really_ disappointed ("He spent half the episode _crying!_ What...the..." expletive removed "is _WRONG_ with this show?" He was answered by Iori, sort of, "Daisuke-san, _language!_ ").

The company did explain it though: Since Vamdemon DID destroy a large chunk of the city, they thought profiting from his actions would be in bad taste, especially since a very large part of the Fuji TV Station (the station that _airs_ Digimon Tamers) was what WarGreymon kicked into Vamdemon's...Uh...Giant talking...Demon Crotch...I guess...I-I never got that and I don't want to. Vamdemon has learned to terrify me in new and exciting ways without even _trying_. Case in point: VenomVamdemon's Talking Crotch of Terror.

Actually, Ken and Hikari made me _swear_ not to tell Daisuke this but they're glad that they didn't base the show on our adventures. Hikari because she doesn't want to see or hear the name "Vamdemon" ever again (let alone hear he has _FANS_ because of the show like Beelzebumon does, I admit the idea of "Vamdemon fan sites" is... _not_ something I want to encounter) and Ken for the same reason, except replace "Vamdemon" with "Digimon Kaiser," _especially_ if The Digimon Kaiser got fans, too. And that's not getting into the Dark Masters or Devimon and Etemon...So, I'm with them on the whole "not basing it on a true story" thing. Even Takeru, too, just because of how unsettling he thought the Ice _Devimon_ episode of season one was. And, once more, _Pi-kun_...

...Though, it says _something_ about the writing of the show if _Takeru Takaishi_ is warming up to Rinchei's _PicoDevimon_. He's more comic relief than anything, I'm not _happy_ about the Pi-kun fan sites but...It's better than _Vamdemon_ fans. And despite Devimon's (Pi-kun's confirmed champion form in the show) evolution is Vamdemon, the writers promised us they'll go with a different part of his evolutionary line if he ever evolves to ultimate. Pi-kun's only evolved _once_ so far.

At least we haven't seen any Dark Masters outside of a MetalSeadramon and Mugendramon in the background of a scene with a ton of megas showing up to fight D-Reaper (I knew of this through the others talking about it after the episode aired, Taichi reminisced with Agumon on how the defeated the two _Dra_ mon-types, after all). I mean, we're all a _little_ upset at Demon and Apocalymon being the big bads of the second season but...Compared to The Dark Masters? I _really_ hope we don't see Piemon or Pinocchimon as the big bad villains of season three or anything like that. Or even a cameo...

...Actually, speaking of cameos, I found out _I_ had one in the first episode. The animators made a background character in a crowd look like me. I was a little embarrassed that I _didn't_ know this until I started watching the show but Taichi, our mediator between us and the studio\whatever company wants info from us, explained that originally they wanted to do the same for _all of us_ but the director changed his mind at the last minute. I was the only one who got in, I should thank them for that sometime. The last time I spoke to _anyone_ involved in the "Digimon merchandising" field was when we were all called to meet with someone from the Fuji TV station to discuss our adventure with them.

We all told the studio when they interviewed us: _No. Vamdemon._ At least we made _that_ clear to them (especially Hikari). Vamdemon is _officially_ a taboo Mon in all media and merchandise, he doesn't have a card _or_ makes any appearances on the show. That was our one rule when it came to the interviews: Do _anything_ you want but NO VAMDEMON! We didn't have the _power_ to forbid them from using him but...We told them every horror story we could think of to make them _not want_ to use him, Tailmon's scars and Iori's story about Yukio Oikawa's fate were more than enough but that didn't stop us from reminding them about who destroyed Odaiba as a giant demon or nearly sacrificed a convention center full of people, who caused those cases of "sudden anemia" among women...Which was a 'mysterious medical case' _despite the bitemarks on their necks!_ Yeesh...Jyou thinks they just didn't want to alarm the public with the idea there's a 'psycho-vampire' on the loose, but...The list went on, one of the interviewers we all spoke to at once (sharing "Vamdemon horror stories" with him) actually had to leave the room in horror, he came back with a cellphone in hand, saying he'd just had a "brief conversation" with the writing staff. We took that as confirmation: Vamdemon was literally to become _forgotten_ history.

Though, we aren't _quite_ thrilled that _Demon_ and _Apocalymon_ are the major villains of the second season...The studio rep _swore_ that the writers had _no idea_ the Demon Corps were _led_ by a "Demon" (they were originally just making a pun on "Demon" with the fact all Digimon's names end with "mon") and his design is _completely_ different from the "real" Demon we fought (looks more like Devimon on steroids, if anything). While Apocalymon, they admit, they thought he would have made a "really cool" villain and, compared to The Dark Masters and Vamdemon, we didn't make "that big" of a deal about him...

...We let it slide, like I said: Vamdemon needs to be _forgotten_ , so as long he's out, we're happy.

However, people _do_ know of his existence, both through what he did to Odaiba (I'm sorry to say he _has a Wikipedia Entry_ with some pictures taken by bystanders during out fight and "alleged sightings" before then with about as much quality as a shot of Bigfoot or Nessie) and...I-I can't believe this but Iori met a girl at a card tournament who had _PicoDevimon_ as a partner (it stayed perched on her shoulder throughout the tournament, Iori admits he expected it to make noise or be a distraction, or even give her tips, but it just stayed quiet the entire time) and, when we asked him, Gennai confirmed: His Ultimate form could potentially be _Vamdemon_...But a _Good Guy_ Vamdemon (that feels weird to say). We...We're a little concerned about this news but...Iori said the PicoDevimon was actually quite friendly and _polite_ (Takeru was skeptical of that, naturally, it's not hard to guess what a Pico _Devimon_ evolves into as a champion form). Still, despite any potential Chosen Partner Vamdemons out there: In anime, cards and games, Vamdemon _does not exist_. Taichi actually negotiated this with the companies in charge of games and cards as our representative (we voted that he do it since, unlike the anime, they didn't interview us for "plot ideas" but _did_ use my notes on various Digimons' evolutions for the card game: Gennai and I provided the data for various researchers and, in turn, it went to the media companies making games and anime): Explaining the entire story of what sort of "villain" Vamdemon had been to us, Taichi was quite good at getting his point across, once he spoke to the card game manufacturer and video game studio it was official: Both agreed to _never_ make Vamdemon even appear, villain, good guy (I imagine Tailmon would _raise HELL_ over that one) or even a side character. We expressed our thanks immensely, especially Hikari and Tailmon.

Though as of season two, as I've mentioned before, Rinchei got a PicoDevimon as a partner, too. We...weren't _thrilled_ about that turn of events but Rinchei's almost non-active as a Tamer for the first half of the season (He knows _nothing_ about Digimon, he just got his partner because he wanted a "Digi-buddy" like Jen, he doesn't do much until he joins up with Kai and when they do show up, they usually make things _worse_ for Jen while Yamaki-san usually just lights a cigarette and groans when he shows up). The studio assured us, he will _not_ evolve into Vamdemon. The fact they did confirm he would evolve into _Devimon_ , though, did _not_ sit well with Takeru _or_ Ken _,_ but they allowed it since Rinchei and "Pi-kun" (he's the only character to give his partner a proper name, unless you count Kai calling his partner "Seadramon" in all forms – Though it's more to showcase how Kai doesn't know _that much_ about Digimon) were actually pretty funny characters on the show and the Devimon in question would be largely comic relief: A fact that Takeru actually _likes_ on the grounds that it would _really_ piss off the _real_ Devimon to see him and his rookie form acting like an idiot or as any form of _Chosen Child_ to where he almost sounds like a _fan_ of Rinchei and his partner (I admit, I use similar logic with Vamdemon: That theoretical "Good Guy" Vamdemon would probably be seen as the ultimate insult). Ken's feelings are that Devimon and anything related _to_ Devimon is a bad thing. As I said, we _do_ have differing opinions on the show even if the general consensus between us is that it's pretty good.

I almost wonder if Vamdemon in whatever Digi-Hell his data could potentially exist in (if there _is_ any form of Digi-Heaven or Digi-Hell, I mean) is mad at us for that...If he is, then, _take that_ Vamdemon! No fame for _you!_ You get to just go down in Digital World history as pure evil, no "badass villain" status on _this_ show. Ha ha ha! That goes to _Beelzebumon_ and he turned into a _good guy!_

Come to think of it, I wonder if Vamdemon turning into a villain-turned-love-freak like Flonne in Disgaea (This anime-obsessed angel who tries to make a Demon Overlord named Laharl into a _kindhearted_ person _)_ would have been an even _worse_ insult than trying to make him a forgotten memory. Maybe we should rethink our "No-Vamdemon" request and change it to "No evil, powerful, non-comic-relief or _intelligent_ Vamdemon allowed." We'll see how things play out with Rinchei and Pi-kun.

Actually, I _did_ write one comedy fic once about him: I turned him into a bumbling idiot...I hope Digi-Hell has the internet, now that I think about that fic. And that it could let me see the angry look on his face as he reads a story that depicts him as a complete moronic amalgam of Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin (Quote the Vampire "D'oh!"). It was my little form of private revenge, I guess. I wrote it before I got into this..Ah..."Other fandom," with, um, Digimon Tamers thanks to a certain rant from Taichi...

...And Daisuke but...Taichi's is "more supportive" of the concept in comparison. And that's not really saying much, "Takato's just _so freaking gay_ " is something I've heard a _lot_. And I'm just as surprised with _myself_ over how... _Fascinating_ I find this, um, "fandom" to be.

...I swear, I _am_ straight, I just find the _concept_ of Jenkato interesting, you know? And Hirokazu and Kenta, too, as a pairing but they're nearly _canon_ at this point. As in, literally, Mimi and Miyako have a bet running: Ten more episodes until they're official for Mimi, a more realistic _twenty_ for Miyako...Winner buys loser dinner at _ANY_ restaurant of their choosing, the fact Mimi can use Digital Gates to pop into Tokyo and vice-versa actually makes the New York to Tokyo travel _really_ easy, the reverse for Miyako. Miyako hopes to win since she wants to try a "New York Dining experience."

It's not that much of a stretch at this point if it _did_ become "more than a running gag," I think I mean, Kenta's _obviously_ gay as of their third "accidental" kiss in season two (which says a lot considering _no other_ characters have kissed so far, _just_ Hirokazu and Kenta). Jyou, who's a _Kenta_ fan, admits that those two locking lips is one of his favorite running gags in the series, each kiss is caused by more and more implausible circumstances each time, I have a feeling the next kiss will be a series of random events that would make Rube Goldberg or the Final Destination writers proud—I swear, I only know of the latter because _Daisuke_ loves them to the point where he considers them _comedies_ due to the over-the-top circumstances around character deaths, like how it all starts with a drop of water making a sponge weigh too much which makes a plate fall, the shards of the plate go on to somehow cut an exposed wire as the sponge wets the floor...Then something in the background you didn't notice is what kills the victim...Daisuke _loves_ cheesey horror movies, _especially_ slasher flicks.

As for Hirokazu, he strikes me as either secretly in love with Kenta (he never really _complains_ to Kenta after they kiss) or homophobic to where there could be some real drama there (he _does_ freak out when the others bring up the fact _Kenta_ was his first _three_ kisses, but more of a " _THOSE DON'T COUNT!"_ Sense). _That_ is what I like about these pairings, the _drama!_ Not the whole "pairing cute boys" thing the shounen-ai fangirls like! And I _avoid_ yaoi, that's... _WAY_ too extreme for me! Shounen-ai "fluff" as they call it is my limit. That and some drama mixed in, like the fear associated with a confession, you know? Graphic stuff...I don't like that, I mean, it's _obviously_ meant for, ah, "hardcore fans." Despite what the others have joked about, what with me being the "computer nerd" of the ground, I _don't_ have a secret porn folder or look at anything _like that!_ _Especially_ yaoi! I prefer _serious romance_ to... _Fanservice!_ I don't even like harem anime, I just hate it when the focus is less "plot" and more "hot chicks in revealing outfits," so I _don't_ share Daisuke's love of Ken Akamatsu's work or things like Ranma 1\ just don't interest me _at all_.

I think that's my favorite part of the story: The confession of love, I mean, just _everything_ that could be running through Jenrya or Takato's minds as they finally take the biggest risk of their friendship: Admitting that they _love_ the other. Takato confessing to Juri doesn't carry _nearly_ the risk as Takato confessing to Jenrya...It's that level of devotion and love that I find so interesting.

I really like getting into, say, Takato's head as he contemplates his feelings for Jenrya or vice-versa, I mean, all of the fear, ridicule, hatred even _violence_ that could come from such feelings if he decided to act upon them? I think it's a deeper form of love if they're willing to go take _that much_ of a risk just to be together. I mean, it's not like falling in love with a girl where, at worst, you face rejection from someone who would still likely want to be your friend with them? Friends, family, random people they meet could make them miserable over who they love, I really don't know if _I_ could go through with it if _I_ were _somehow_ in that sort of position. And I'm not stupid, I know it's not a "choice," this is who they are and...The only choice involved is if they accept it as normal or a curse. Or the choice whether or not to take that big risk and confess to who they love and pray for the best...But probably expect the worst. I think that's what I would do...If I were gay, that is. I-I'm _not_ , of course, this is purely hypothetical!

I know from the few (okay, _more_ than a few) fics I've read that coming out is scary. I _know_ it's something that, as much as they wish they didn't have to do, if they truly _want_ to be together they'll _have_ to, you know? I mean, you can't just secretly go out with your best friend your whole life and not either expect someone to ask why you don't seem interested in girls or not have one or two friends or family members start to get suspicious as to why you spend so much time with a "friend" of the same gender. Or, worst, being found in an awkward position _with_ said boyfriend. It's not something they can hide forever and I think _that's_ the scariest part of all: Knowing that you _will_ be discovered someday. And given Takato's personality, I can see that being a _huge_ weight on his shoulders, especially with how "stereotypical" he can be in canon, Takato "has his moments," let's say. Jen would probably be less anxious between them but also do whatever it took to keep things a secret.

It's weird, too, though...I got into these fics a few months ago while Taichi and Daisuke were joking around about who Takato was based on. _"You're the one who wears goggles, now, Daisuke: He's based on_ you _."_

" _I'm not a crybaby, Taichi-san! Don't even joke like that! And besides, he's got_ your _hair color!"_

" _Yeah, but his boyfriend has_ Ken's _hair color. I_ kinda _think they're implyin' somethin' there, Dai-kun. You two_ are _pretty close jogress partners n' all."_

 _"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"_

" _Hehehe, noooothing~! Or,_ maybe _noooooothing~!"_ Honestly, I think Taichi has _fun_ teasing Daisuke more than he rants about Takato being gay. Daisuke, on the other hand, adamantly _denies_ that he has had _any_ influence in Takato Matsuda's creation because he is _"NOT a flaming gay crybaby!"_ Daisuke _really_ takes this accusation _seriously,_ too. Even worse when he's told he's a "really bad Takato cosplayer," or as many people have told him: Yellow goggles aren't _that hard_ to find!

 _"Dude, ju-just because Takato's so freakin'_ gay _doesn't mean I am, too! What? If Jenrya were blond, you want me to say he had the same hair color as YOUR boyfriend!"_

 _"Daisuke, Daisuke, Daisuke...How_ dare _you imply Yamato would cheat on Sora, even if I_ am _just_ that _irresistible! Tsk, tsk, I should tell Sora to smack you for that one!"_

" _Er...Fine, what if he had...HA! Jyou! Jyou's hair color! Does that mean_ you _got a thing for Jyou? Huh? Do ya? You n'_ Jyou Kido _goin' out? Better fess up!_ _'Cause me and_ KEN _sure as hell aren't!"_

 _"Hm, point taken. That and Jyou really isn't my type, ya know? But, hey, Takato_ is _the Goggle Boy, and I_ do _believe_ you _came up with that title yourself."_ It's true, Daisuke is the one who came up with the term "Goggle Boy" (it's what he referred to himself as when they asked why he wore goggles, "I'm the Goggle Boy, that makes me the leader! Like Taichi-san was before!" Plus he _wrote a song_ about it for Yamato's band – I'm serious!) for the "leader," the studio uses it to describe Takato. And in the second season, since he moves to Shinjuku from Okinawa after he gets a partner, Seadramon (Near full-time Champion partner like Leomon was for Juri, except _smaller_ than the Seadramon _we've_ encountered: Kai and one other person can ride him at a time, though he sometimes devolves into Betamon so he can enter the bakery and things like that. Betamon _loves_ bread to where he fights with Guilmon over it practically once per episode): Takato's cousin Kai, he wears goggles, too, the ones he used to use for spear fishing in the first season one movie.

Kai's the "Second Goggle Boy" in Tamers season two, he's still "learning the ropes" because he's almost completely clueless about Digimon. He hasn't even _slashed a card yet!_ And season three starts in a couple months! Though, Rinchei is _even worse_ , he didn't even know there _was_ a card game, literally, the look on Jen's face when he says this to him is _hysterical!_ He grabs a card deck out of his hands and asks, "Wow, they make cards now? When did they start doing that?" This was _long_ after he got his partner, obviously _._

Kai isn't an _official_ Hypnos Sanctioned Digimon Tamer (along with a lot of others who get Digimon after Wild Ones start popping up again, like this guy named Mondo who lived in Okinawa with Kai as a kid until he moved to Shinjuku: He's Kai's "tactician," which is a self-proclaimed title, he even carries around a _feather fan_ like Shoukatsuryou Koumei from Sangokushi...Except he has a _massive_ ego compared to Shoukatsuryou). Kai still sneaks along to help out Takato, he saves him from drowning in one episode with Seadramon's help. Jenrya was _so worried_ about Takato, too, while Kai and Seadramon dove to save him. They were fighting some Hangyoumon and it was their first time fighting Digimon underwater, they needed scuba gear and everything. Things went downhill _fast_ once they were ambushed by the Hangyoumon.

I even reference this scene a lot in my latest fic, since it's not _only_ one of the most intense action scenes in the show thus far (it's what cements the fact the Wild Ones _are not_ afraid of hurting or, especially for Takato, _killing_ humans. Well, they _kinda_ weren't afraid before but, this time, they'll _intentionally_ harm or kill people if they _want_ to. And _many_ want to) and major moment in the series for a lot of main characters that follows them throughout the story:

-Kai. It pretty much _establishes_ him as a hero _and_ he even does what Jen does in the first season: He fights a Hangyoumon with a fishing spear _alone_...Except he doesn't have the luxury of being able to _breathe_ like Jen did, plus he recovers Jen and Takato's dropped D-Arcs _from the sea floor_ while Seadramon, Guilmon and Terriermon dealt with the Hangyoumon. It's also what starts the "information leak" in Hypnos, it hasn't been revealed who it is yet but someone is telling Kai and his group of Tamers about the missions Yamaki sends the others on (fans think it's Jen or Juri since Takato was cleared of suspicion a few episodes ago. They both have motive, namely to make sure _Takato_ isn't put in harms way like that _ever again!_ Both of them were _really_ freaked out after the close call) and about Wild One activity. We'll find out who the leak is, soon, Mondo is using it as leverage to become a "Hypnos" Tamer over an Ichari Tamer because he's fed up with how Kai doesn't take him seriously as "the brains" of the group. How he knows, we _don't_ know yet but...Yamaki-san is _very_ open to the deal.

-Jen, who's supporting Takato emotionally and, since Takato's _terrified_ , physically holding him at the surface for the rest of the battle (he has to take his hand and slash cards for him, Takato's in a _completely_ freaked out state...Not that I can blame him) and helping him out for a few episodes after – A _lot_ of fans comment on how Jen was more concerned than Takato's own parents were when _they_ found out later on (they tried to make Takato _stop_ Taming altogether). Not to mention just how concerned he was for Takato from when it happened onward, he took on the role as Takato's "bodyguard" for a while: If a Wild One got too close, Jen would step in _physically_ if Terriermon was distracted. He gets _injured_ doing this at one point, he gets a _rogue_ PicoDevimon's Pico Dart to the side (The results were _not good_ for him, to say the least, he was in a coma-like state for three episodes... _With_ a worried Takato and Shiuchon at his side the whole time). Rinchei and Pi-kun made it their mission to _find_ that PicoDevimon and hunt it down themselves it evolved to _Satamon_ but they took it down with help from Shiuchon and Antylamon. It was probably Rinchei's most "dramatic moment" so far, as he put it _"No-one—I repeat_ NO-ONE— _hurts my little brother...That little freak is_ gonna pay for this!" And when it evolves before him? _"You're just making it worse for yourself, pal. I_ like _a good challenge!"_ Honestly, Rinchei was sort of _scary_ with this "I will avenge my little brother's injury even if it _kills me_ " attitude throughout the whole thing. Pi-kun also lost his comic relief status for a while _._

-Takato, who develops and hides a fear of water, but forces himself to get over it about a dozen episodes later when some Octomon are doing the same thing to a cruise ship his own parents were on for their anniversary (the next episode after the Hangyoumon incident has him freaking out over just the idea of taking a _bath_ ) the same thing doesn't happen again since he and Jen know to be _much_ more careful. There's an episode where the Tamers (and some of Kai's group) take a day off at the beach, Takato makes up a _lot_ of lame excuses for not wanting to go anywhere _near_ the water. Jenrya picks up on it, he even begins to ask if "what happened" has anything to do with it but backs off at the last second, knowing that being reminded of it or pointing out any weakness in their leader would only upset Takato. He tries really hard to be a good leader for the group after Yamaki-san gives him that designation: Unlike a lot of characters, the title _doesn't_ go to his head, he's more afraid of the responsibility of having everyone's very lives in his hands. Jenrya and Juri both provide support for him, emotional (both), tactical (Juri, mostly, Jen comes up with some good plans, too, he even gives Takato credit for a few of them by interrupting him before he tells the others they were Jen's: He tells Takato, _"You're our leader, the others need to look up to you. I don't mind letting them think you came up with those ideas, Takato: You're a great leader, regardless."_ Takato feels really bad for this) and, for Jen only, acting as a shield against _anything_ that gets too close. There's a lot of focus on the relationships between characters in this season, especially with Takato and Jen\Juri\Kai. A _lot_ of people think they're setting up a love triangle for Takato's affection between Jenrya and Juri, while Kai seems to like Juri. The shounen-ai fans _hope_ Kai ends up with Juri while Jen gets Takato...I won't lie, I _kinda_ hope so, too, the fan community, at least those who _aren't_ homophobic, think they're writing Takato as a romantically blind bisexual – He has _no clue_ when it comes to _anyone_ liking him as more than a friend or even _other peoples'_ relationships at times. The first season picked up on "romantic subplots" mid-way through the first season because the fan pairings became _incredibly_ popular, there are couple shrines to various characters all over the internet. The second season goes even further. A quick google search for "Jenkato" will turn up a _lot_ of results, I've even seen some in _English_ for the North American dub of the show. I couldn't believe it at first, though I had to run the text through an online translator (you know how good _those_ can be) to understand it the fan art section made it clear: Jenkato Shrine.

-Juri since she takes the incident as if it was a near repeat of Leomon (Takato and Juri fans online reacted similarly to _Jen_ and Takato fans, obviously). She goes into another "D-Pression" state (the term fans use for her state of mind while in D-Reaper) for a bit but gets better after Takato assures her he's fine (even though he's still afraid of water at the time). She dedicates even _more_ time and energy to making Takato card decks that will help in in _any_ situation and tells him he can come to her for _any_ problems, she won't tell anyone. He confided in her about how scared he is being named the leader and how he doesn't feel up to the task. He thinks Jenrya or Ruki should be given the position. She assures him that he _is_ cut out to be leader because everyone still looks up to him and sees him as a great friend. Her dialogue for the "great friend" portion comes off as her hinting at her feelings and implying _her_ feelings are "more than friendship." Takato's oblivious to it, as always. I honestly think she or Jen could say "Takato, I love you" and he'd think they mean it as "you're a very important friend I greatly care for and respect" _not_ a romantic confession...It's sort of a joke among fans that Takato "needs a stronger goggle prescription."

-Yamaki, since he _finally_ starts to see Kai as (as he puts it) "a necessary annoyance." Plus Jen _really_ tore into Yamaki-san in the next episode opening, it starts with him _screaming_ at him to start letting Kai help out on a regular basis since he was the _only_ one who could have saved Takato, Takato was recovering in Hypnos with the others (he was put on the sidelines for the next few episodes). It was one of those _rare_ moments where you see Jenrya _really_ angry at someone, he made a big deal about danger in general but...A lot of fans saw it as him screaming "you nearly killed _my_ _boyfriend"_ due to how over the top he was (even compared to Ruki, who also expressed that _she_ wouldn't accept a mission like that after seeing what Jen and Takato went through – And she's _never_ not scary when she's mad at someone). Actually, what's interesting is _Juri_ in the end of that episode: Yamaki is ending a phone call with Reika, commenting on how angry Jenrya was, when Juri steps into his office with her head hung and only saying "We need to talk about Takato." The following episodes imply her talk was similar to Jen's since Yamaki is seen trying to avoid _both_ of them. Ruki, too (she didn't have a full on rant like Jen but she _did_ have some words for him...And hand gestures that, ah, they just showed her hand going off-screen for more than a few of them, let's say), except she makes a _point_ of being around him to try to intimidate him.

The episode aired early on in the "Corrupted Wild Ones" Arc of the second season, somewhere around episode fifteen or so.

To be honest, I _almost_ expected a CPR-first kiss between the Jenrya and Takato if the scene wasn't played so dramatically. That gag was used a couple episodes later by Hirokazu on Kenta...Who actually didn't even _need_ CPR, Hirokazu just _thought_ he did _(long_ story, it was during a beach filler episode that shows Takato's sudden fear of water – A _lot_ of fans accuse Kenta of "faking it" instead of "sleeping" to get _another_ kiss from Hirokazu). It pretty much established the risk with Hypnos' new method of "organizing" the Tamers to fight these corrupted Wild Ones (which, until then, their "attacks on humans" were only described in Yamaki's mission briefs or news reports, after this episode _all_ of the characters have some major close calls, even _Yamaki_ does while spending time in The Digital World as part of a research team with some of the other Tamers), not just the Digimon running the same risk of being downloaded like before. Some fans think the second season might end with Beelzebumon dying, the last episode ended on a cliffhanger that _did not_ look good for his health – You _know_ an anime series is getting good when even _Takeru_ _Takaishi_ is screaming for a _demonic_ Digimon _not to die_ in the next episode.

Kai's involvement is though the fact he formed a Non-Hypnos sanctioned "Support Team" for the others, he calls the team "Ichari" (it's part of an Okinawan term, Icharibachode, that means "we're family upon meeting"). Yamaki doesn't approve of their existence, believing Hypnos should control all Digimon Taming and conflicts with Wild Ones but, well, as of that episode he's been doing less and less to stop them. The team consists of some new characters, Rinchei, Shiuchon, the "leak" in Hypnos and, to an extent, _Kenta_. Kenta's part of the group because a lot of them are "aquatic" Tamers with Water-based Digimon, like MarineAngemon...

...Actually, I think it's proof he's gay: Kenta tends to get flustered around Kai while Hirokazu gets _jealous_ when Kenta's talking to or just hanging around Kai. Again, I think Miyako and Mimi are right when it comes to their bet that they _will_ become canon soon. Those two are _huge_ fans of the Hirokazu\Kenta and Kai\Kenta pairings (I _kinda_ like the latter, only because I see Hirokazu being as blind to Kenta's feeling as Takato is to romance in general), I overheard Miyako telling Hikari, _"Kenta's just so_ cute _when he blushes around Kai! Did you see him in the last episode when Kai grabbed his hands and encouraged him? He look_ soooooooo _in love~!"_ I sometimes wonder how _Taichi_ feels about the fact Hikari is a fan of those pairings, she, Miyako and Mimi could not _stop_ talking about the times Hirokazu kisses Kenta _again_ (as in _repeatedly_ ) this season.

I like where the season is going so far, though Taichi and Daisuke aren't really bringing _Kai_ into their "Goggle Boy" argument: It's pretty much just Takato they argue over since he's the more well-known and recognized "Goggle Boy" among fans. Plus Kai is a _MUCH_ more "masculine" character, especially compared to _Takato!_ Takato is...An interesting choice for main character but I like the decision they made: A fan of the franchise who becomes a Tamer _and_ a hero but is also an emotional, nice guy artistic character. I think he's a good choice for a "goggle boy," the term that _Daisuke_ coined as Taichi had pointed out...

" _I used_ Goggle Boy _describe_ myself _not every guy who wears goggles on his his head!"_

" _I thought you called me the_ original _Goggle Boy, once."_

 _"'Cause you ARE!"_

 _"So Takato's the new one?"_

 _"No, he's...JUST GAY AS GAY GETS! I mean, dude, yo_ saw _that episode in the new season where he and Jenrya were trapped in that pit together, right? And how Jenrya kept calming him down by_ freaking hugging _him or_ holding him _in place, patting his back like he was sayin' 'there, there, it's okay, Takato-chan' and Takato had this whole 'he's so dreamy' look in his ey—"_

 _"Ha ha, didn't know you paid attention to this kinda thing, Daisuke—"_

 _"I_ don't! _Takato's just that freakin' obvious! Come on, Taichi, the studio thinks_ one of us _is gay or something! I was_ so _expecting him to be some kinda badass hero like we are...! It's not fair, he's supposed to be based on me or you!"_

 _"Maybe he still_ is _based on you...Does the studio know something about you I don't?"_

 _"Grr...I was gonna ask you the same thing!"_

I finally chimed in with, _"What are you two_ talking _about?"_

One long "you actually have _NOT WATCHED_ the most popular anime on TV right now?" Stare later and they filled me in on their 'theories' about Takato, Jenrya and the obvious _facts_ about Hirokazu and Kenta. _Everyone_ , when they found out, was surprised I didn't watch Digimon Tamers, actually. I guess, when I found out about a lot of the changes they made like "card slashing," permanent Digimon-death which, I heard from Taichi, _Gennai_ suggested to help cut down on "Digi-Battles" that some _idiots_ were still having now and then, thankfully there haven't been any "deletions," especially after Gennai made it clear on TV: Digimon who are deleted on Earth _CANNOT_ reconfigure, your Digimon "dies" on Earth, he _dies for good (_ I guess Digimon Tamers _was_ kinda right in that sense but, ah, I don't remember anyone _downloading_ Piemon or anyone else's data at any point, that sounds like a _bad_ idea if you ask me, and we _know_ what Vamdemon managed to pull off on Oikawa-san...The _idea_ a Digimon can possess a _human_ , that's scary when you think about all the other Digimon we faced on Earth). That led to a _serious_ drop in "Digi-Battles," thankfully, especially after it was made _illegal_ in Japan after Gennai's broadcast. But those reasons a few other things like that made it so I wasn't interested when I first read about the anime a few months after Vamdemon's (THIRD) defeat, especially since the producers didn't seem to _listen_ to us after they asked to interview all of us.

...I was _very_ wrong. I really liked the show even though I started in the middle of the second season and had to watch the first online (I won't lie: I was _really_ lost at first, I didn't even remember who was who for the first month) and, well, when I kept an eye out for all those "Takato and Jenrya in love" hints...I noticed a _lot_ of them (I didn't have to look as hard for Hirokazu and Kenta, though, you'd have to be blind and deaf _not_ to notice at least Kenta "swings that way."). I also stumbled onto a Jenkato fan fiction and fan art shrine the first time I started looking for fan sites to get information on the show, then I discovered FanFicWorld, a fan fiction website dedicated to... _Everything!_ And their Digimon section was _huge!_ I mean, um, just _massive_ amounts of Digimon fics by the _thousands!_ I was impressed, I knew Digimon was popular now but not _that_ popular! Especially the, um, character "shipping," pairing characters together in romantic fics...Though a _lot_ of pairings tend to rival one another. Apparently, there's some unwritten rule where you can only like _one_ pairing per character and all others that conflict that one pairing are _EVIL!_

I don't get the shipping wars, I really don't, I heard that Digimon's "wars" are _tame_ compared to Pokemon's, though, but I only ever followed Musashi and Koujirou fics before I stopped watching, oddly enough, because of them...

...They've _gotta_ cut that motto. Almost a thousand episodes and all but a _handful_ contain Team Rocket _not_ reciting an almost _minute_ long motto. It got so old with me I just quit or, if I'd watch an episode online, skip the scene entirely out of frustration. I can only watch Pokemon online or DVRed because I change the channel if I can't skip that motto...And I used to be a _huge_ fan of those two!

I soon discovered that Jenkato was fairly popular, Hirokenta being almost as popular. There were, of course, the "het" fans, like Juri\Takato or Jenrya\Ruki and, of course, Ruki\Ryou (I don't know why that last one is so popular, Ruki seems to hate Ryou more and more each episode but, then again, fine line between love and hate and all that, right?). But, well, I saw more than a few flames for one of my favorite Jenkato fics and I felt like I should support the pairing since some of the writers were expressing disappointment with how many people hated their work because it was shounen-ai. I don't know _why_ I felt I had to support them like that, especially since _shounen-ai_ was _never_ something I ever cared that much about, but that really upset me. I didn't like the idea of people being so quick to leave the website just because some homophobic jerks didn't like their work.

I even emailed one, begging her not to leave the site since I really enjoyed her Jenkato fics! She stayed on after I told her I wanted to write a Jenkato fic, too, as proof of my support of the pairing if she agreed to stay and continue writing. She agreed to the idea since I, um, made it clear: I was a _straight_ male who _liked_ shounen-ai, she said we were "sort of rare" out there and that she was "very moved" by how upset I was. So my support in _that_ position really helped: Even the straight guys love her work. I got to work on my _first_ Jenkato (or _shounen-ai_ fic) ever...

...I won't lie, though, I made sure to write it with my door closed and not even let _Tentomon_ into the room. I know Digimon _probably_ don't have any concept of homosexuality or the stigma sometimes attached to it but the _last thing_ I needed was Tentomon saying to my parents, " _Koushirou-han wrote this story about these two male humans named Jenrya and Takato falling in love, it was very interesting. Do humans write stories like that a lot?"_ Or something like that, I _cannot_ see that ending without me having a heart attack while trying to defend my heterosexuality. So it was written in _top secret_. Thankfully, Tentomon had a day-long distraction in the form of Gomamon inviting him over to watch a Gundamon marathon, I told Jyou I couldn't make it since I had some "homework" to do. Tentomon's not as much of a fan as Gomamon but the two like to hang out together.

I was amazed by how _quickly_ I wrote it and how easy it was to write, actually. I thought I'd end up writing an apologetic email saying I "didn't have it in me" to finish it or I had "bad writer's block" or _something_ but...It came to me! Along with a lot of others. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it.

The fic was called "Mirai," after Jenrya's image song. Set about ten years after the first season, Takato and Juri had broken up in college and while consoling Takato, Takato asks Jenrya if he'd ever had his heart broken the way his was. Jenrya, because he had been drinking earlier, admitted that he felt a little heartbroken when someone he loved fell in love with someone else, but said _"It wouldn't have worked any way."_ And...I-I remember, it was the first confession I had ever written...I think I might take a quick glance at it, I had the file open not too long ago because I wanted to look it over for a typo a reviewer pointed out and replace the file on my FanFicWorld account, so it should still be in the recently access file list. I'll just pull it out of my most recent documents and reread my favorite part...

...Got it! Mirai, now to scroll down past the break up and Jenrya's night out with Rinchei...

...Here it is: My first confession. I guess I'm a little proud of it.

" _Jenrya, it...It hurts so much, I-I...I loved her, even if we were growing so apart. Have you_ ever _felt this way before? Like...someone you love just tore your heart out?"_ _Takato let out a quiet sob, Jenrya poured more tea for him on the coffee table, they both sat on a pair of couches on either side of the table._

 _Jenrya shrugged as he poured his own cup next. "I...I sort of did. Not nearly to your extent, though, Takato-kun. They loved someone else, though, much more than me and, I knew, it would_ never _work out between us. I was sad but...I cannot relate. I wish I could, just so I could try to help more."_

 _Takato looked to Jenrya, asking, "It wouldn't have worked out? Why? A-And, Jen, don't...Don't wish you had felt like this, I could never wish such a thing on a friend." He wiped his eyes with a tissue, sighing. "Please, I'd never want to see you suffer on my behalf."_

 _"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that I wish I could relate better. And, really, it wasn't meant to be, I know that," Jenrya said, almost dropping his tea pot on the table and then resting his hands on either side of his body, leaning back into the couch in his apartment. He was regretting going to that bar with Rinchei earlier that night, Rinchei had convinced him to "be bad" while the rest of his family was in China, leaving almost a week before Jenrya's college break. Naturally, the_ one night _he decided to get almost blind drunk was the same night Takato broke up with Juri and needed Jenrya's support more than ever._

 _Naturally, Jenrya would_ never _turn down his best friend in his greatest time of need, just as Takato would never abandon him. He'd been doing his best to hide his drunkenness. Thankfully, Rinchei had gone to his apartment, his roommate having picked them up and dropped off Jenrya about an hour before Takato called and asked if Jenrya "was busy." Takato knew he was home alone for the next week and a half._

" _Not meant to be? Je-Jen-kun,_ how? _I mean, you had so many girls after you in high school, remember? Hirokazu's always talking about how he's both envious and mad at you about having so many girls ask you out and you turning down every single one! Why did you do that?"_

 _"They...just weren't, urp—" Jenrya belched into his hand. "So-Sorry, excu-excuse me, Tokata-k—Er...Takato-kun." Jenrya mentally kicked himself, trying hide his eyes instinctively rolling into his skull by looking away from Takato, thankfully he didn't hear the laughter he expected from his friend. "They just...weren't really my, uh, my type." Jenrya nearly fell to one side as he shifted his arms around. He, once more, rolled his eyes to the Heavens, asking the God of Wine_ why _his gift was so mind numbing._

 _Takato stood up. "Are you okay? I-I caught you at a bad time, didn't I? I'm sorry, Jen, I knew it was late and—"_

 _"N-No, Takato, relax, I want to help you and, Gods, if_ Juri _dumped you? I don't care if you called me in the middle of mid-terms, I'd be right here for you." Jenrya said, standing up and keeping his friend from leaving. He wobbled a little as he stood, finding himself using Takato's shoulders for support."So-Sorry! Sorry...Just,_ please _, stay, Takato-kun, let me help you." This time, he turned away to hide a blush as he let go of Takato, nearly falling back into his own couch. He caught himself on the arm with both hands. The blush quickly vanished. Especially from the next words out of Takato's mouth:_

" _Are you, um,_ drunk? _"_ _Takato asked as he sat back down, Jenrya_ collapsed _more than_ sat _into his couch, facing his friend while leaning back to avoid having to keep his balance._

I admit, a drunken confession could have been better but...I-I just thought it would work to loosen Jen up, you know? I know this from the time Daisuke snuck a bottle of sake, he had trouble hiding the fact he was both drunk _and_ couldn't keep his mouth shut...Daisuke just "wanted to try it once" while his parents were gone. We decided to let him sleep it off but he asked if Ken could stick around since he...wanted to talk to him, he said. Ken, of course, wouldn't abandon Daisuke. Drunk or sober, especially since he was worried about _how_ drunk he seemed...

" _A-A little. I'm sorry, Rinchei wanted to go out for drinks to celebrate the end of mid-terms. I got back not too long ago. Just...Keep talking, Takato-kun, I'll be fine."_

 _"I'm so sorry, Jen, I shouldn't have—"_

 _"Please, Takato. Don't, just let it out, okay? Why did Juri dump you? Trust me, I'm a good listener and, who knows? Some of Rinchei's best advice actually comes from some revelation only_ he _can come up when drunk, maybe I inherited that trait, too." He tried to joke, hoping at least to get a chuckle out of Takato. Anything to make him feel better. Alcohol, of course, made such a thing much easier said than done._

 _"It's...It's because she, um, I guess we just kept drifting apart over the years. And she got mad since, well, we worked_ so hard _to go to the same college so we could be together that, well, she told me," Takato sighed, tears welling in his eyes as he continued, "how_ selfish _it was of me to ask her to go to the same college if...If we weren't going to last, you know? I-I told her I didn't_ know _any of this would happen, I don't know why what started out as such a strong relationship turned into, I guess,_ this... _Whatever you can call_ this _but I didn't mean to hurt her or anything! She's so angry, Jen. I-I spent almost an hour, before I finally called you, trying to call her. She wouldn't pick up, she eventually turned her phone off...I know she didn't read my texts or anything. She doesn't even want to talk to me anymore!" Takato was doing is best not to break down into a mess of sobs, it was obvious to Jenrya that it took more will power than he knew Takato ever had._

" _I'm sorry, Takato. Maybe she's just under pressure from tests. I-I know I get moody when I have to study a lot, you know? Give her some time."_

" _Jen, she...She broke off the lion pendant I gave her and threw it at me, just before she went back to her dorm,"_ _Takato reached into his pocket and passed the jade lion with a broken silver chain to Jenrya, whispering, "She used to_ love _that. It reminded her of Leomon...Now? She told me she never wanted to see it or_ me _ever again."_

" _I remember when you got this, yeah. Takato, I-I'm sorry, I wish I knew what to say to help but..."_

 _"I-I know, I'm sorry to dump this on you, especially when you're like this. I can leave, really. W-We can talk later—"_

" _N-No, stay, please," Jenrya shook his head. "I-I'd rather try to somehow make you feel better."_

" _Thanks, Jen," Takato nods. "Um, since...Since you mentioned it earlier, can you...Can you at least tell me who it was you liked? The one who fell in love with someone else? If it's not too painful?"_

 _"It's not, I mean, I knew it'd never happen between us. The odds of that person feeling the same, ha ha, were a million to one."_

 _"...That person?"_

 _"Yeah." Jenrya nodded, not noticing the confused look on Takato's face._

 _"Jen, um, who was it? Be honest, okay?"_

" _What do you mean? Why...Why do you sound so serious?"_

 _"It's just, um, you said 'that person.' Why?"_

 _Jenrya realized what Takao was hitning at. "I-I_ meant _that girl, Takato! Gods, how much liquor did Rinchei get_ in me? _Ha ha ha! That girl, Takato. That girl."_ _Jenrya tried to let out a convincing laugh but even in his drunken state he knew how bad of a cover that was. The expression on Takato's face further cemented that fact, he let out a quiet sigh..._

 _...Takato had to find out sometime, didn't he? Jenrya was now at his friend's mercy._

" _Then what's her name?"_

 _"It's not important, Takato," Jenrya replied. "Really, you're reading—"_

 _"PLEASE!" Takato shouted, his eyes tearing up. "Please, Jenrya, I-I want...I want to know 'that person's' name. Please? Be-Before, when you first mentioned 'that person,' you_ still _said '_ they' _not 'her.'_ _Jenrya, if you...If you're..._ Please _, tell me the truth!" Tears, once more, began welling up in Takato's eyes. This time, however, Jenrya had no idea if it was because of Juri, or the fact Jenrya had been hiding such a secret from him. A secret that, now, Takato may just be afraid is_ true _: Jenrya was gay. Something Jenrya had kept secret because he was afraid of how Takato would feel about that revelation._

 _Going by the sudden serious look on his friend's face, the tone of his voice and his insistence to know the truth: Jenrya was afraid his fears were about to come true._

 _But he had no choice, Jenrya had to tell Takato his deepest, darkest most private secret._

 _Jenrya glanced away, his cheeks turning bright red but this time he made no attempt to hide them from Takato. "You'll be angry...And it would be wrong for me to tell you."_

I felt like, for Jenrya, telling Takato _he_ was 'that person' would be something he'd see as wrong. Like taking advantage of Takato during such an emotional time, a time that Takato _needed_ to know he was still loved by someone, I guess. I-I was a little proud of myself for how well this came out, actually, it was my first slash fic but...I'd read so many by that point and I had gotten to know the characters so well that I felt like I could pull it off. And I really wanted this to come out _good_ (No pun intended) because it was part of a deal for my favorite writer to stay, despite all the flames she was getting and that I, too, would soon get: I didn't care, though, I told the flamers "The more you flame me, then the more I want to write shounen-ai. So, what's it gonna be?" Ha ha, some of my readers would jokingly flame me to "help inspire me," those joke flames always made me laugh – And, to be honest, I was _shocked_ to find out I had people who _liked_ my work that much! I didn't think of myself as _that_ much of a writer, even now but looking at my reviews, good or bad, makes me happy to know so many people read what I wrote.

I still backed up her stories just in case but I wanted her to write new ones, too. She still writes fics, she thanked me for helping inspire her on her profile, I even linked to her profile as _MY_ inspiration, too, ha ha! We recommend each others' fics to people, I really want her to be more popular on the site. She's a really big fan of Jenkato.

This fic was written shortly after I created my alternate online persona for fan fiction: Jenshirou Izuda. I figured _none_ of my friends would figure out it was _me_ , I still pretend to be clueless about Digimon Tamers around them as an extra precaution. At first it was _mostly_ to hide the whole "Stupid Vamdemon" fic from the others, just in case they _didn't_ like the idea I, technically, wrote a story about _Vamdemon_ even if it was meant to be a huge insult to him.

" _Wrong to tell me because...it's not a girl?" Takato whispered. "Tha-That's not_ wrong _, Jenrya. Don't call it wrong,_ please _." Jenrya couldn't believe it when he heard those words from Takato, he was so sure this would ruin their friendship if Takato didn't approve. The fact he was telling him there was nothing wrong and defending his orientation made him feel better about the next revelation._

 _Though, given_ who _he liked, Jenrya still feared a very negative reaction from Takato. It's one thing to support a friend, it's another to support a friend who has a crush on you. Or to tell a friend you were helping deal with a break up that you had a crush on them. Jenrya knew, either way, this probably wouldn't end well for him, even with Takato's apparent support of his preference._

 _"N-No, it's not just that...It's wrong because of who he is. I-I feel like it would be wrong to...tell you his name. I'm sorry, Takato, I never told you this before because I...I just wanted to keep it a secret from everyone. It's...You know, not...Not normal. Please don't be mad—"_

 _"I'm_ not _, do-don't_ ever _think I'd be mad at you, Jenrya. We've been friends since fifth grade, being gay isn't going to change that. And I won't tell anyone, I swear...Just, please, tell me that name. I won't be mad, either."_

 _Jenrya's mind ran with excuses or alternative names but none sounded convincing, even in his drunken state—No,_ especially _in his drunken state he knew: Takato would be able to tell if he was lying, it would be painfully obvious either way if he told him_ any _name but the real one, Takato might as well just guess after calling him on the lie. He let out a quiet sigh, only saying, "I'll tell you if you promise not to be angry or think of me as a horrible person."_

" _I don't need to make that promise, Jen, I'd never be mad at you or think of you as such. Please?"_

 _Jenrya could not face his friend as he took a deep breath and said, "His name is Takato."_

 _Takato's silence scared Jenrya so much, if he weren't at his own apartment he'd had fled by then to any part of the city but there. He even considered just going to his room and locking the door, hoping Takato would just leave and keep his disgust to himself._

 _Jenrya felt his heart ache as he heard the sound of Takato getting up from the opposite couch. Jenrya held back a sob, whispering. "I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't—" He fell silent as he felt someone sit next to him, followed by two arms gently wrapping around him. His eyes widened as he let out a quiet gasp. "Ta-Takato? Wha-What are you...?"_

" _...Thank you,"_ _words that Jenrya_ never _expected to hear should Takato find out about his feelings. "I-I...I needed to know that. Thank you, thank you so much."_

 _"Wh-Why?"_

 _"...Jenrya, I-I loved Juri, I really did but...I'm not...I'm not_ exactly _, um,_ completely _into girls, I guess. That was why I wanted to know...who you liked so much. I still...I still loved her but, over time, it wasn't because I had feelings for anyone else, really, but because we grew up to be two completely different people. I'm an artist, I think abstractly, I use my imagination, I treasure it...Juri's working to become a teacher and a counselor, she's become so strict and logical, whenever I show her a painting of something that defies the world she sees, she doesn't like it. I-I think it's from...The Digital World, she wants to forget a world so strange could exist, a world that...cost her so much joy, she doesn't even remember the_ good _times back then, no matter what I say or when I've painted something from then to try to make her happy, she hates it. I know it, even if she says she likes it, she really hates it..She isn't the same person she was when we first went out. Or met, really. It's just...taken me so long to finally see it or, maybe, I've just denied it for so long, thinking it was just a phase for her or something but...Juri isn't the same any more, she's changed so much because of what we went through. I-I can't say I blame her, but...It hurts to think of the happy person she used to be compared to now."_

 _Jenrya just gave a timid nod, unsure of what Takato was trying to say. Takato was right, though, Juri had changed_ so much _in the past decade since their adventure. Even in photos, a picture of her then and now...It's not easy to believe that's the same person in those two photos._

 _"But, you? Jen, you...You used the same logic Juri does to_ figure out _the Digital World! You're not like her now, you...You never changed as the best friend I always had, you still hope one day for Terriermon to come back. So, um, knowing this? I'm actually happy."_ I actually had to add a disclaimer to the top of the fic, since I watched the _final episodes_ of season one before going too far into season two (I didn't know Kai, the "new goggle boy" was _Takato's Cousin_ , so the episodes I saw of season two starred him and not the others, I thought it was an all new cast! I hadn't seen the first movie and, well, I didn't recognize Kai from the episode he appeared in). I made it clear: This was _BEFORE_ I watched much of season two, when they did come back and Juri _wasn't_ the depressed mess I thought she'd become.

D-Reaper looked like it would come with a _lot_ of therapy attached to it, you know? Hikari _still_ has the occasional nightmare about Vamdemon and Piemon, ditto Takeru with Devimon and a gun-wielding Pinocchimon added to that mix...And don't get me _started_ on Ken when it comes to The Digimon Kaiser...And _that's_ just the tip of Ken's Iceberg. The stuff _under_ the surface? That "Osamu phase," let's call it, that I mentioned before. He seemed to be genuinely _terrified_ of Osamu judging him over The Digimon Kaiser and, ah, "something he might not approve of" in his life he didn't really elaborate on and we _did not_ pry for details, the only topic more sensitive with Ken than "Digimon Kaiser" is "Osamu." Thankfully, things got better after a few months, he only said, "Now I know how Osamu would feel, and I'm not afraid anymore." We were relieved, when the reason for his depression is _Osamu_ , _NONE_ of us know how to even _attempt_ to make him feel better.

As for my need for 'therapy' after our adventure? Uh, let's just say I'll never go to the circus, a puppet show _or_ read Dracula ever again (Even the _worst_ vampire movies are a _little_ scary once you've encountered a _real vampire!_ Twilight aside, that is, it's hard to be afraid of a vampire that _sparkles~!_ Vamdemon would have been _much_ less of a threat if he sparkled). So, um, I imagine if _one of us_ was the one _Vamdemon_ possessed or trapped in some digital dungeon like with Juri and D-Reaper: They'd never even want to _hear_ the words "Digimon" ever again...Then again, most of us were also turned into Keychains, too, but...I-I don't remember _anything_ between "white sheet over my head" and standing before HolyAngemon...Does that mean I was _dead_ or something? I try not to think too hard on the implications of temporarily being a piece of Digital _plastic_ for about half an hour...Especially when the thought of "was I technically _dead_ for that time?" Pops into my head, _then_ things get existentially scary.

But, yeah, I had to add a disclaimer that says "I didn't know about season two, sorry, no Digimon!" Augh, that _still_ bugs me about this fic. It's like that one I started where MarineAngemon speaks _normally_. Then I saw an episode where he "speaks," we still want to know how Kenta can carry on full conversations with him (everyone on the show, even Yamaki-san, has their own theory in one of those "thought bubble" scenes, like Takato figuring out a Tamer for Culumon in the first season). Yamaki-san's was the only one _not_ done in funny chibi animations, he just pictured MarineAngemon talking to Kenta while Kenta's mind (shown as a clockwork-like set of gears) _translated it_ based on vowel usage (the fans at least known he changes all of the non-vowels in his speech to Ps, save for lone Ns which are "pu")...

...He then shook his head, thinking, _"No-one can be_ that _smart."_ Tell that to the fans of the "translate MarineAngemon" site: It's a site dedicated to _non_ -Kenta Translated phrases the Digimon says. Daisuke says "it makes those Kenny dialogue transcripts for South Park _look easy!_ " I'll take his word for it _,_ South Park has never been a show I was very interested in. All I knew about it was the whole "Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!" "You bastards!" Gag.

On a side note: Gomamon, just for fun, once tried MarineAngemon's "Pa Pi Pe Po Pu"-dialogue for fun (he's his favorite Digimon, Jyou says it's part of why Kenta is _his_ favorite character - I'm a little surprised Taichi and Daisuke haven't made fun of him for _that_ yet), Jyou told him he sounded more like Pikachu after a severe head injury than MarineAngemon. Gomamon was _not_ pleased and replied with "Pyou po papa!"Jyou took offense because he knew _what_ he was saying (in front of us) and then the two paused and realized: They just pulled off an actual Kenta and MarineAngemon conversation (before Jyou was _lost_ and Gomamon had to speak _slowly_ to make sure his speech matched up like MarineAngemon's. It was pretty funny, actually).

" _Yo-You're...happy? Why? Ta-Takato?" Jenrya stammered as Takato held him tighter, though Jenrya was completely unsure of whether or not to hug back or keep his arms to his side or_ anything _. He never expected this to happen, not in his wildest dreams._

 _"I-If...If Juri and I...If we can't...fix this..." Takato looked up to Jenrya, even in his haze Jenrya knew what that expression meant._

 _Still, Jenrya glanced away. "But...It's too soon, right?" Jenrya asked, solemnly. He didn't expect Takato to throw his arms open and scream 'let's go out' as much as he wished. The revelation his friend was bi didn't strike him as hard as he expected for some reason, possibly the alcohol, possibly the suspicion that, maybe, he always knew but denied it so as not to get his hopes up but..._

 _...At the very least, Jenrya could take some solace in the fact he once had a chance. But he would accept it if Takato still stayed with Juri, instead. Even if he didn't, Jenrya did not want to take advantage of Takato's emotional state. Takato needed support, not a lonely friend who would rather seize an opportunity at his own happiness over Takato's well being._

 _Takato gave a nod. "Ye-Yeah, I-I...I don't think Juri and I can fix things as a couple but, at least, I want to try to be friends again. Jen, can...Can we just wait a little? I want to...ease into this, too. I-I might be bi but I've never really_ acted _on my feelings towards anyone male, especially...you."_ _Takato whispered with a blush._

 _"Fe-Feelings_ towards me? _" Jenrya felt his jaw fall limp, receiving complete confirmation of what Takato's expression before had meant._

 _"Of course. I-I just...never thought of you as gay. I don't know if things between Juri and I would have changed if I had but...I'm glad to know I have someone who...still has feelings for me. Thank you, Jenrya."_

 _"Thank you for not being mad, Takato. I-I just felt that telling you would be taking advantage of you right now."_

 _"I understand and, to be honest, that sort of consideration is one of the things I like about you. I-I promise, I-I'll try to be ready soon. Can you wait to find out...if things can, at least, be fixed enough between Juri and I to be friends? ...I don't think we'll be dating again but...I-I just want to wait a little."_

 _"Of course. Takato, I understand completely a-and...And if...If you can fix things with Juri,_ please _, don't worry about me. I'd rather...you were with who you loved most."_

 _Takato let out a quiet chuckle, much to Jenrya's surprise. "To be honest, Jenrya, I-I don't...I don't know who that is."_

I-I won't lie, I don't know _how_ realistic any of this was, I mean, I've _never_ dated! I know, I _know_ , I'm just...not into dating, you know? I haven't found the right girl, really...Which is sort of sad since _Iori_ of all people _has,_ as much as he _denies_ it we all know he likes her. The "Nicer Ruki" to his "Ryou Akiyama," (in terms of how Iori's constantly denying any romantic feelings for her like Ruki would to Ryou...Except _MUCH_ more politely. Those two are a "love-hate" couple, fans either think they're secretly in love or secretly more hostile to each other because they _used_ to date, the latter only being a fan theory but they have some shockingly convincing evidence for it. I've seen the youtube videos that discuss it alongside scenes from the show, it came up on the sidebar while I was watching a Scissor Sisters "I Can't Decide" AMV about Ruki. That song is practically her _theme song_ as far as her fans are concerned, a lot of her fans really like how she's the "tough one" in the group with Hirokazu as a not-so-close second). They met at a card tournament as finalists – Iori won the match but she was impressed by how gracious of a winner he was, especially compared to most of the others in the tournament, which is Iori in a nutshell: Polite about _everything_.

We've met her (Mariko) but not her partner, actually. It's because of the fact it's a PicoDevimon, Mariko told us she understands it might take a _little_ working up to meeting her partner after we told her the stories about the PicoDevimon _we_ knew (Tailmon's were... _NOT_ pleasant, he actually _sabotaged_ her objectives and orders from Vamdemon enough times to try to win 'the boss's favor' that it led to... _Bad things_ , let's say). She does swear that her partner is _a lot_ nicer than you'd expect for a 'Devi'mon. Iori confirms this, saying that he's actually very intelligent and likes pizza rolls (we found the second thing a _little_ random, Mariko explained that the first time Iori visited her she made them and Iori shared his with her partner and had fun doing so, it's his favorite food). Armadimon just added that he "likes to have fun!" Which _is_ a good trait for a Digimon, all of our partners tend to play together when we all meet and bring them along.

Iori (around Takeru, Hikari, Ken or Tailmon, mostly) dodges the subject of Mariko's partner _almost_ as much as the fact Mariko is, for all intents and purposes, his girlfriend, I think it's just his age that makes him so embarrassed – He _is_ just getting out of the "girls have cooties" age, you know? She covered for him once (since Iori _still_ has a _lot_ of trouble with lying and even excuses that "vaguely misrepresent the truth," his words) for her partners' absence by saying, "He didn't want to interrupt our date, I'll bring him sometime soon!" To Iori's response of, "Thi-This isn't really a date! She's joking!" Jyou's _tempted_ to play on Iori's sense of honesty by asking if he's _lying_ or not but...We're just humoring him for now since Mariko seems to _like_ Iori when he's embarrassed, she'll hug his arm and tell him he's cute, which makes him even _redder_ , ha ha ha!

But, well, in the fic I thought Takato would still need time to patch things up with Juri and, possibly, become a couple again and Jenrya would be understanding in either scenario. I sometimes think the writers that spoke to us a couple years ago _did_ base Jenrya a little bit on Iori, _all of them_ expected him to be more of a typical nine year old than...Iori Hida. He's the youngest among us but _by far_ the most mature. Especially when standing next to Daisuke Motomiya since we were all interviewed together. When he told the writers that interviewed us that he practiced Kendo with his grandfather, one of them said, _"Hey, why don't we have a character who's a martial artist? Like it runs in the family!"_ They started brainstorming until they realized Iori was (politely) not speaking up to continue the interview. That tidbit led to Jyou theorizing Jenrya is, at least _partially_ , based on Iori – The fact Iori and Jenrya both practice martial arts _and_ are surprisingly mature and intelligent for their age.

In the end, though, Juri does make up with Takato as friends, only, she finds another boyfriend but apologizes for calling Takato selfish and agrees that they had become too different to be a compatible couple. Takato reveals to her, first, that he and Jen became an item shortly after, which she takes with a _lot_ of confusion but accepts them. The story ends with sort of a cliffhanger that, um, a _lot_ of the reviewers complained about. And I was _amazed_ I even had _reviewers_ who _liked it!_ I got a few "OMG! Diz is sooooo gay, u suck!" flames, too, but...I'm told I'm not bad for a first-time writer, save for the "Super Weird" Vamdemon fic where he's "too stupid to live." I argue: That's the entire point of the fic! And I've met the guy, too: He kind of _is_ too stupid to live. How else do you explain _dying_ _THREE TIMES?_ As Shakespeare once wrote, "Cowards die many deaths."

Ha ha ha, I _really_ wish I had the courage to say that to his face (or... _lips_...Vamdemon, is there a single part of your body that _isn't_ creepy?) during our "final showdown" in that weird dimension.

Plus a lot of people who _don't_ know about the Odaiba incident from, Gods, _so many_ years ago, now, thought he was a made up Digimon. I actually _liked_ that, I've seen him pop up in a few comedy fics with people saying, "I saw this funny Digimon in another fic, so I wanted to use him. He's like Homer Simpsmon!" So, _take that_ , Vamdemon! The pen is mightier than the sword!

Anyway, the cliffhanger is Jenrya and Takato having dinner with their families after graduation at Jenrya's apartment. The story ends with Jenrya saying, _"Everyone, Takato and I would like to make an announcement..."_ While holding his hand under the table.

I discovered: Ending fics on _any_ kind of cliffhanger is "very mean," ha ha ha! My favorite writer promised to stay since she really liked the story and said she wanted to see more from me. I was skeptical at first about how "good" I was but, well, about five good reviews later and I wrote another one for fun. So, I've been writing in my free time ever since...

...And, _again_ , not because I'm gay and like this sort of thing as anything _other_ than a dramatic story! I mean, I like fics that put a lot of emotion into the coming out and confession, not the kind where it's a happy world where homophobia doesn't exist. It'd be _great_ if real life was like that, don't get me wrong, I'd _love it_ if gays were accepted by everyone but that world doesn't exist, unfortunately. Hell, there are people prejudiced against _Digimon_ as _abominations_ from "Hell," we _really_ take those seriously...Taichi got _this close_ to getting kicked off his soccer team _because_ a few players found out about Agumon and told his coach, who saw _all_ Digimon as varying degrees of "Vamdemon."

Taichi quickly pointed out, _"Without Agumon, you'd be enslaved by a Digital Vampire bent on world domination right now."_ He takes _serious_ offense to the "Anti-Digimon" crowd. Most of it stems from the Digimon that came to Earth after Vamdemon's reign and near the end of 2002 when we had to travel to different parts of the world.

Someday, I hope it might someday a world without prejudice and, like Hikari wishes, a world where human and digital can get along happily, too, but until then it's too unrealistic for me to see fics like that. Like I keep saying, it's all about the drama, the risk, the fear of the unknown reactions from friends and family, all the fear of being ridiculed (or _worse_ ) just for being _different?_ All that _just_ to be with someone?

That's love, you know? A _really, really_ deep form of love, to risk _everything_ to be with someone! I-I know, I've said it a dozen times by now but I feel it just really _needs_ to be repeated: I like _that_ aspect, _not_ "pairing cute boys," you know? Re-Really, I no longer judge the male shounen-ai fans I'd sometimes encounter as gay anymore because of this, ah, realization. I...I wish I could work up the courage to ask a few of them if they like it for the same reason, too, but, well, I-I always chicken out. _Always._ I guess I'm a _little_ insecure about this...Just a _little_ , though!

I-I guess I'm rambling a little, maybe I should take a break from this fic, I'm mostly reviewing what I've already written for typos and stuff. I got a little bit past the part where Jen gives the goggles to Takato (like, _just_ before break started, I was hoping to have it _done_ by now but I've been stuck and "distracted" by something else) but I'm having a little trouble with _how_ Takato jumps to the conclusion Jenrya likes him and Juri finds out what happened to the goggles she had lost. I might want to rewrite that part but I'm not sure. I mean, yeah, he _did_ give him a pair of red, heart-shaped goggles but...Is it normal to just _assume_ there's romantic intent the—Well, actually, I'd think Taichi or Daisuke would jump to that conclusion if _anyone_ gave them some red goggles that had a heart shape to them, so maybe it's not _that_ much of a stretch. Knowing Daisuke, especially, he'll drive is _insane_ asking which girl in his class we think might have given them to him. Or if it were a _guy_ , well, if his rants on _Takato_ are any indication of his feelings on _that_ particular topic...

Ah, I'm dwelling too much on this, especially since what I'm dwelling on is _Digimon Slash_ of all things! I-I mean, _come on_ , Koushirou! The-There's _more_ to the internet, you know this! Like a certain you-know-what that Jyou warned you was going to take over your life but...

...Yeah, I think I'll take a break and and play that new MMO Daisuke suggested: World of Chaos. Taichi, Mimi and some of the others play it, too. I'm actually _completely_ clueless about these things. I mean, I'm more into programs and computers themselves, not _games_. And the way Daisuke kept using computer related terms that _I_ didn't know! Granted, they were MMO terms like "aggro" and "pull" and "PVP" but...I-I was lost and felt weird knowing that _Daisuke_ had an area of _computer_ related expertise I did not. I didn't mind until he started joking about it, _then_ I decided to buy a copy of World of Chaos...

...And I've regretted not listening to Jyou's warning of its addictive nature ever since! Gods, I had no idea a _computer game_ could come with _withdrawal symptoms!_ Curse you, Storm Entertainment!

Yeah, I think I'll take a break from writing Heart Shaped Goggles and play some WoC. Just to clear my head and think, I've wanted to do this as a fic about Juri buying Takato a pair of goggles that are shaped like a heart as a "romantic gift," but she loses them and Jenrya finds them, he decides to give them to Takato as a joke but Takato reads a too far into the gesture and thinks Jen might feel the same way he does. I sort of see Takato as one of the following:

1\. A severe closet case (afraid of his own shadow thinking he's gay).

2\. Completely oblivious to _anyone's_ feelings for him. I think the latter is what he's like in the show, I mean, Jenrya often stares at him while he's not looking. Juri, too, actually, does things like that, Jenrya's just a _little_ more subtle (and does the "silent stare of love" more often, I think, Juri is more likely to make a gesture, like the episode she bakes him heart-shaped cookies...And they accidentally end up with Hirokazu, who thinks they're for him). Takato seems _completely_ unaware that either likes him. I don't think he even realizes _Kenta_ might be gay, given how some of their conversations go, Kenta says something that can be taken "a certain way, _hint hint_ " and Takato _doesn't get it_ at all. Seriously, that "conversation" Kenta had about Hirokazu with Takato a few episodes back _screamed_ "Don't you realize I'm _trying_ to come _out_ to you?" For Kenta's side of things. Nothing was explicitly stated, of course. More the more and more annoyed and exasperated looks Kenta kept giving him as things went on until he finally finally collapsed forward on a table and said, _"Never mind, forget I said anything."_ Considering he was coming to Takato for "advice" on his "friends," the subtext was a _little_ obvious.

3\. _Easily_ over analyzing something like Jenrya giving him a pair of heart shaped goggles as a sign of love...Not that it _might not be_. But that's only if he was fully aware he _liked_ Jen. If he thought of Jen or Juri only as a friend he'd just think "Oh, cool gift!" Instead of "Why did he\she give these to me? Is this a message of some kind? Does this mean our feelings are mutual?" If he _did_ have a conscious crush on either of them.

I think the show is playing _both_ Juri and Jenrya as potential love interests for Takato's general obliviousness and the show won't make anything official so that the fans can "have their own fun," you know? Hirokazu and Kenta are pretty much the only _confirmed_ couple in the show...As a gag, mostly, they're the ambiguously gay duo (Ruki even calls them this while Kai, at one point, flat out _asks_ Takato " _Hey, cousin, does that friend of yours with the glasses, um, what team does he play on?"_ Takato's reply? " _Kenta-kun doesn't like sports."_ ...Like I said: Oblivious. Kai just drops it after that when he realizes Takato _honestly_ doesn't know what he's talking about, the internet meme that followed was a screenshot of Kai's expression with words like "You are SO clueless it's painful" or things like that, think the "O RLY?" Owl except with proper spelling and grammar), Taichi and Daisuke don't even _bother_ ranting about them, especially since "Takato's _STILL_ a hundred times gayer" according to...Both, actually. Neither wants to believe Takato is based even _remotely_ on either of them, especially Daisuke.

The idea almost terrifies him, I think...Like I said about that "unrealistic world," though. It _would_ be nice if Daisuke didn't take such issue. At least some good came of his rants, I got into a new fandom through them (even if I _doubt_ that was his or Taichi's intention). First Jenkato, now World of Chaos...What will Daisuke get me into next? I _pray_ it's nothing like that sake he once got hold of.

And speaking of World of Chaos...Okay, Tentomon's napping in his Tento Bed, I don't have any more homework to do...Let's play!

I shrink my fic and double click the icon for World of Chaos (a sword and flaming staff crossed together), the game loads the server list. It should just go straight to my server for my mage: Hawking. I really like having a thunder elemental mage as my character, I feel like I can relate a little bit to Tentomon when uses his Petit Thunder attack or, for my _newest_ spell, _Kabuterimon's_ attack! My newest spell is called "Ball Lightning," it allows Hawking to charge up and _throw_ a massive ball of electricity for _tons_ of damage. It came in handy for some aquatic ruins I was exploring earlier this week.

..That's odd, the game isn't loading straight to my character. What's going on?

Oh, _crap!_ They're doing a rolling server update! Three servers are down at a time for only the Gods _know_ how long! And if I'm _lucky_ this is the second or _third_ time the servers are down for _this_ update. WoC is _thorough_ before breaks, they maintain and update their servers to make sure they can handle the sudden influx of users when school is out. It just takes a _long_ time for them to finish the entire process.

Let me see what the status for Hawking's server is...

 _Estimated time for World of Betrayal Server (RP, PvP, PvE) update completion: 3hrs 22min._ Augh! That usually translates to _double_ what the _real_ wait time is! And that's my server for World of Chaos!

Hawking's my only character, too!

Well, the game _does_ let you create up to thirty characters or something like that, ten per server. Maybe I _should_ create a character for back up and to just have fun with a new set up.

I pick one of the already updated servers, a Role Playing server with PVP (most are just PVE, player versus environment, severs: I like the ones that encourage roleplay and _some_ PVP – I don't do it too much but I'll accept a duel now and then if I think I can win) server and select "Create character."

First gender...Male. I know some guys play a female characters (GIRLs – AKA Guys In Real Life), that's not really my thing, though. Not that I have a thing against girls or see it as virtual cross-dressing, I'd just rather play as my own gender. That and I've _seen_ some of the jerk male players who make cat calls or say that girls can't play video games. My last duel with Mimi tells me: They can and they're _pretty good at them,_ too. Miyako, too, except she doesn't play WoC: She prefers standard RPGs and, shockingly, _GTA_. She says her brother got her into it, especially Vice City since it has an 80s soundtrack.

Though, it _would_ be kind of fun to respond to a cat call with "I'm a guy" just for the reaction but...Nah, I-I'd rather not have word somehow spread to the others _I'm_ a GIRL player. _Especially_ if I'm, technically, hitting on guys (even if it is to scare them off from hitting on girls in game!).

Mo-Moving...Moving on...Next is race...Human, elf, dwarf, kobold, nekobold, lizard clan, duck clan, beaver clan, Winghorde, Porpoisekin, merperson, undead, _VAMPIRES_...Gods, all these weird animal-human hybrids! The Kobolds and Nekobolds, especially, dog and _cat_ people! Or... _Beavers?_ _Porpoises?_ I-I don't get it but...Whatever, people love this game for some reason. I usually stick to human, I'm not too big on elves or dwarves or demi-humans or _vampires..._ Especially vampires, I admit: I target them in PVP a _lot_. In fact, one of those _rare_ times you'll _ever_ see Hikari in a fit of vengeful bloodlust is if a _Vampire_ player threatens her. I once heard Tailmon _request_ that she beat one guy up for his username: VampireDemon666 – I'm _pretty sure_ she did, I was in the other room with Taichi editing some videos I made for him, then we heard Tailmon screaming _"DESTROY HIM, HIKARI!"_ In the other room, Taichi _had_ to see what was going on. Me, too, I _rarely_ hear so much... _BLOODLUST_ coming from _Tailmon_.

Okay, male human...Select class...Warrior, mage, rogue, hunter, monk, gadgeteer, trickster...I'll go with another mage. And with a fire specialty instead of Thunder like with Hawking...Actually...

Name...Ha ha ha, I wonder if _this_ is taken: Jenkato. Why not? I'll check the availability on this server...

...Not taken! Huh, in that case...

Jenkato

Human

Fire Mage

Now for weapon specialties...Why not crossbows and guns? Like Gargomon\SaintGargomon with a bare fisted subspecialty? Guilmon's fireballs combined with Terriermon's weapons arsenal and Jenrya's martial arts. And for looks, I'll try to give him all blue armor to make him resemble Takato, maybe toss in some orange and black, too. At the very least, I'm editing his appearance with brown hair that _kinda_ looks like Takato. Not perfect but good enough, no facial hair this time like Hawking's Kan Uu-sama-esque black beard.

Plus, I _know_ Goggles are a head accessory in this game, I _gotta_ get those for him! And a Zhugenu repeating crossbow for when he's a higher level! It's the closest this game has to a gatling gun, after all...Hell, it's China's two thousand year old _answer_ to the gatling gun.

I think I found a fun way to get ready and spend my break from school, now, leveling Jenkato! And, maybe, finishing Heart Shaped Goggles...Maybe. I'm a little stuck. I'll leave the file open just in case something hits me while I'm playing tonight. I shouldn't be up _too_ late, though, I have school in the morning. Break starts the day after tomorrow, so I'll have some time to spend levelling Jenkato before then.

Actually, break starting probably explains the server updates. Gods, these things can last for _DAYS_ at a time, they usually check and re-check each server before major breaks when they expect a ton of players, like seasonal breaks. I just hope they didn't just start the process, and if they did they take down each server _twice_ at most (instead of _three or more_ like they sometimes do). Either way, I can spend time watching the rest of Digimon Tamers season one that I missed, I'm _just_ about done with the D-Reaper arc (plus I already saw the last three episodes, again, I watched _all_ of season one out of order) and I've seen _most_ of season two that's aired, too. Demon's close to being defeated, Apocalymon is threatening to take out the entire Digital World by re-releasing D-Reaper and _combining_ with it...As someone who actually _fought_ Apocalymon: I gotta say, the studio captured his character _really_ well, though he tends to go off on long rants about _himself_ that, uh, _Ken_ was the one to say this: _"He makes The Digimon Kaiser look_ humble _at times."_ It's actually kinda true.

Okay, Jenkato has been created, now to enter the World of Chaos. This might just be a lot of fun!

I wonder if anyone will recognize the name. I _doubt it_ , but then again, Digimon _is_ the biggest thing in anime, games and everything else right now. Who knows? 

* * *

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Heart Shaped Goggles  
II

 _Juri was in a panic, where could they have gone?_

 _She had them in her backpack, her gift for Takato. She saw them at a novelty store in the mall last weekend, As soon as she saw them, she thought, "Takato!"_ _Not only that but "perfect Saint Valentine's gift!" She had the perfect gift for Takato at the perfect time to confess to Takato. Except now the emphasis was on the word_ had!

 _It had been well over a year since their partners' left and then returned: Yamaki-san got them back with help from Mr. Li and the Wild Bunch. And, months ago, when everyone's partners' returned except, of course, her own lost partner, Yamaki-san made his announcement of the "Digimon Tamers Task Force" and unveiled the dorms and new labs and equipment at Hypnos. It was everything they could possibly need to both study, visit and defend the Digital World. And Earth, too, ever since the sudden return of even more dangerous Wild Ones. Those dorms came in handy, even if Juri didn't have a partner she still stayed at Hypnos with the others in her shared room with Ruki Makino. Takato and Jenrya shared the room at the end of the hall, with Hirokazu and Kenta's room between them. Ryou's single room was in another part of the lab as it was just a single room, a re-purposed "VIP suite" for lab techs and agents that had to stay at Hypnos for extended periods of time. All the rooms had beds, entertainment, toilet, bath, small kitchen...Anything they needed and personal belongings to help them feel "at home." Plus room for their partners._

 _Though she was invited along with the others for the grand unveiling, Juri thought that she wouldn't be a part of the group any more. All of her friends would do the work for Hypnos that Yamaki-san requested of them, an offer they all jumped at. Some, like Hirokazu,_ cheered _when they got the offer: An_ official _Wild One Task Force of Digimon Tamers. With the option to go on missions to study The Digital World alongside Hypnos researchers, usually as bodyguards._

 _She wasn't a Tamer, though. Her partner was lost, she never thought she'd get that sort of offer._

 _Instead, one day, a few weeks after Hypnos began its operations with the Tamers, Ruki and Ryou came up to her father's restaurant, went up to her room and Ruki said, "Juri, I'm gonna teach you how to play cards. Get your poker face ready." Juri was pretty good with the card game already but_ nothing _compared to the Card King and Queen known as Ryou Akiyama and Ruki Makino. They taught her everything from the basics to their top secret advanced strategies and tips and tricks for combinations, program cards and what types of Digimon they were and were not effective against, the best plug-in combinations, you name it! No explanation why, Ryou just told her they were going to spend the day studying cards._

 _When Juri finally asked, she was told by Ryou: "Yamaki-san and Hypnos have collected a_ massive _number of Digimon cards, sort of a...I guess Card-based Weapons Cache for our Partners, you know? But, even with Blue Cards and the Wild Bunch, the card game is a_ little _too complex for them." It was true, Mr. Li and the Wild Bunch created the AIs that Digimon were based on but the card game (among other things like video games) were lost on most of them. At best, they understood the basics. Yamaki-san was the_ only _person aside from the Tamers who knew the ins and outs of the card game but his expertise was still lacking compared to the Tamers._

Ruki added, " _And as good as_ we _are, we're not always gonna be there or know what to do in what situation and what to plan for, even with all the data on each Zone in the Digital World Yamaki-san's got info on, like the major types there...It's too much for all of us to plan on the spot you know? So, Takato asked Yamaki-san if_ you _could be our, I guess_ Card Dealer _or whatever you wanna call yourself. Either way, you're in charge of our cards for missions and whatever. You'll be Hypnos' answer to Q, I guess." Ruki crossed her arms and, with a smirk, added, "By the way, don't think that means you're gonna work from home: Yamaki-san set up my room for ya, Roomie. Hope you don't snore, I'm a light sleeper."_

 _"...Card dealer?" Juri was stunned and had no idea what to say or even_ think! _Except for one thought: She wished Takato was there so she could thank him for asking Yamaki-san to give her this job. Ruki said it was his idea, after all._

 _"Whenever a Wild One shows up and we head out from Hypnos, or we go into a Digital World Zone – You'll be the one in charge of who brings what cards with them to use with our partners. Takato knows you're pretty good with the game and we vouched for you, too, but Takato thought, since you said you wished you could help, you could be in charge of the cards we use." Ryou explained._

 _Juri was speechless at the time._ Takato _was the one who came up with the idea, they said. Takato knew how much she regretted not only losing Leomon but, when their partners came back, that she couldn't be of_ any _use to them...And Takato came up with a way that could make her_ useful _to everyone! She even understood why Ruki and Ryou were playing as common types of Wild Ones while they kept switching her Digimon as someone else's partner (Guilmon, Renamon, Terriermon, Guardromon, etc.), how they offered suggestions or "do-overs" and explained_ better _cards to use on her Digimon or_ against _the others' Digimon._

 _Juri, of course, accepted the position. She was given her own laptop and tablet (complete with card scanners built by Shibumi-san), each with a database of all Digimon, Digital World Zones and all sorts of information gathered by Hypnos. Takato later showed her the "weapons cache" (as Hirokazu and Ruki loved to call it) himself, a room_ filled _with easy-to-access and well organized displays of_ thousands _of Digimon Cards, every single card_ ever _produced by the company with at least ten extra copies of each_. _The room also housed equipment like card readers, deck holders and belts...Anything, he even said that if she could think of anything else she could think of that could aid the Tamers, Juri could go directly to Yamaki-san to request it. She felt "covered" with what she had been shown and swore to Takato and the others she would do her best._

 _Whenever Yamaki sounded the alarm and the Tamers were needed on a mission, she was there with pre-arranged decks of cards for her friends and spent as much time as she could perfecting them or making new ones to fit certain scenarios. She tailored each deck to their individual partner and usual strategies, as well as preparations for the types of Digimon they might be facing (Nightmare Soldiers, Machine, Fire, Nature, etc. "Aquatic" was currently a Digimon she dreaded having to prepare for since...an incident with Takato). It was a big help for the other Tamers, as bringing their_ entire _collection of cards would be too much of a hassle, even if it was_ somehow _perfectly organized to where they grab each card without having to search for it the "deck" would be the size of ten regular playing card decks combined: So, save for some personal favorite cards everyone kept on hand at all times, Juri made up a dozen or so decks of different combinations of cards for each Tamer based on what their mission would be: Ruki and Ryou both vouched for Juri's combinations, saying a lot were really clever. Juri was happy to receive the praise of the "royalty" among Digimon card players. Especially as Ruki_ rarely _praised other card players or anyone else who dealt with Digimon cards and strategies. Juri had seen the video footage of her "victory speech" the year she was crowned as "Queen of Digimon Cards." Ruki was not the most "gracious" of winners, though also not one to gloat beyond calling her opponents "weaklings."_

 _She put the most work into Takato's decks, naturally, to thank him but she dedicated as much of her free time as she could to researching each card and its actions, from attacks to programs to items to plug-ins. Juri was their "Card Dealer" and, ever since Demon invaded with his corrupted Wild Ones and Apocalymon began his takeover of the Digital World: Even Yamaki-san has called her "an important asset to the Digimon Tamers_ survival _." Everyone appreciated her tricks and creative thinking when it came to cards and planning ahead. All of her packs had "the basics" mixed with cards for unique situations and foes. And all of them designed with each individual partner in mind..._

 _...Unofficially, she also helped a "certain other group," though they had to provide their own cards. Yamaki-san would never allow her to give them cards from the Hypnos' cache. Kai-san didn't mind, though one or two of his friends did, and to this day she had_ yet _to even hear of Rinchei slashing a card for Pi-kun. Though Kai's_ complete _lack of using cards (his usual excuse being that he "forgot what they're supposed to do" or, even more often, forgot to even_ bring _any cards with him) had her constantly worried for Takato's cousin, he keeps saying "Seadramon's enough." She still made him a special emergency pack, just in case. That was the_ one time _she ever broke one of Yamaki-san's rules: Among the most advanced programs and plug-ins was a blue card Ruki smuggled out of Hypnos for her, she told Yamaki-san she had used it in battle against a powerful Wild One. It was to ensure Kai had_ anything _that could get him out of a bad situation. Blue Cards were a rare and precious resource. Though their exact use varied, always, they  
_ never _failed to save someone from a tough situation. Kai was thankful for the gift, saying he'd at least always keep it on hand for good luck._

 _These days, Juri was seen by even Ruki and Ryou as the number one source to turn to for cards and even strategies for their Digimon Partners. Though, for the actual game itself: Ruki and Ryou were still sharing the number one position. Juri knew the function of every card but they knew the rules of the game better (as opposed to "slash, slash, slash, slash, CARD SLASH!" over and over with different combinations), Juri was still good at playing, though. She often played with Hirokazu, Kenta or Takato during their downtime in the labs._

 _And she owed all of this to Takato. Kenta was the one to tell her how much work it took for Takato to get Yamaki-san to agree to let Juri be the "Card Dealer." Originally, the job was meant for Ruki and Ryou. The fact the two of them declined (as a move to get Yamaki-san to agree to Takato's proposal) is what made Yamaki-san relent. Juri appreciated the work it took her friends, she really did. Especially Takato, he was always happy to hear her ideas for new card combinations, even trying them out with Guilmon as a form of training._

 _Juri owed Takato so much._

 _And of all the ways to_ finally _thank him, she lost it! She couldn't_ believe herself! _She lost the perfect gift for Saint Valentine's Day: A pair of red, heart-shaped goggles._

 _Frantically, she searched her backpack, her locker was empty, too, even though she had_ no memory _of ever taking them_ out _of her backpack! They_ have _to be here! Even if it is the third time she'd checked._

 _As things had died down with Demon and Apocalymon, everyone was back in school: Sixth grade began shortly after their partners left sixth grade had begun. By the time their partners returned it was the seventh grade (to a degree, their time spent "on call" in the labs, they were provided with a tutor – It helped that all but one of them were in the same grade). Sadly, she didn't share class with Takato as she did back in fifth grade, just the lunch period. Hopefully, she'd find his goggles before then. She_ knew _she left home with them, she remembered holding them on the way to school..._

 _...Gods!_

 _She suddenly worried she'd dropped them somewhere. She quickly put her books and other belongings back into her backpack, retracing her steps once she got to school. At the gate, she saw Kenta, getting in just as it closed, MarineAngemon floating around his head as always. "Kenta! Kenta-kun!"_

" _Pupi! Popipi pa! Pepupi pepu?" MarineAngemon waved a paw before sitting on Kenta's head. Juri knew he had given her a formal greeting but, beyond that, only Kenta understood anything the little pink Mega-level Digimon ever said. He always translated anything important...That and his snack requests. MarineAngemon had a fondness for green tea-flavored sweets much like Kenta did._

 _"Juri? He-hey, what's going on—"_

"PLEASE _tell me you saw a pair of goggles! Red ones! Heart shaped lenses, did you see them?"_

 _Kenta shook his head, stammering in confusion as Juri drew closer. She sounded desperate. "Er...! N-No, sorry, I didn't...Why?"_

" _Pipipe..." MarineAngemon shook his head with a saddened expression._

 _"I-I...It's nothing, I-I just..." Juri let out a sigh, "I was just hoping you saw them."_

 _"Well, if you can wait here five minutes, Hirokazu'll be hopping the gate any minute now, so ask him," Kenta said. "He took the 'scenic route' in the park, you know?"_

" _Scenic route?"_

 _"As in stopped at a bench to do last minute homework," Kenta shrugged. "You know him, Mr. Wizard he is_ not _."_

 _Juri let out a quiet laugh. "Good point. Thanks, Kenta, I-I'll keep an eye out for him, then."_

 _"Why not ask Takato, at least? I figure if_ anyone _knows_ anything _about goggles, it's him," Kenta said._

" _Trust me, he wouldn't know about these," Juri replied. "It's a gift."_

 _"Ooooh,_ that _kind of gift...?" The grin that spread across Kenta's face made it obvious he knew of Juri's intentions._

 _"N-No, of...Of course not!" Juri's denial, of course, only gave Kenta even_ more _confirmation. Especially her sudden blush and glance to the side._

 _"Heart shaped goggles are_ not _that kind of gift? All riiight," Kenta said playfully. "If you say so..."_

 _"...And what did_ you _get Hirokazu for Saint Valentine's day?" Juri asked with a smirk, she normally_ wouldn't _do something like this but_ anything _that got Kenta to stop asking questions._

" _A bunch of card packs, what else? I picked the ones that had Guardromon and MarineAngemon on the pack covers, of course. The latter_ is _a little angelic seal of love and all." Kenta let out a laugh, adding, "We don't do the candy thing, we save that for White Day since we're guys. I mean, it's girls who give out chocolate on Saint Valentine's, so..." Kenta trailed off, stopping as he noticed Juri's expression._

 _Juri's jaw was hanging, feeling as if it was by a mere thread. Hanging by a mere thread not_ only _by how_ casually _Kenta gave an answer but..._

 _...The fact that answer was_ not _a denial of any kind. Juri had expected an eye roll from Kenta followed by something like a sarcastic 'very funny, Juri.' Or the answer Kenta had just given her to be in an over-the-top sarcastic tone, not..._ Casual! _Like Kenta was talking about the weather!_

 _Kenta took a step backwards, swallowing as he meekly asked, "You weren't serious, were you?"_

 _Juri shook her head in silence, her stunned expression unchanging._

 _"Then, uh, neither was I! Ha ha! Gotcha! And...I gotta go to class, now!" With those words, Kenta hurried off to class at full speed, leaving Juri to only stare at him in shock. MarineAngemon had lost its balance and was flying after Kenta screaming, "PEPA! PAPPE PUPAPAPI! PEEEPAAA!" over and over again as it caught up to him._

 _That was_ very _unexpected._

* * *

Yagami Taichi

* * *

TakatoLi...GO!

Another day, another duel, another _VICTORY!_ Ha ha ha, I _love_ this freakin' game! No-one knows about my character on this server besides Hikari. My main is TaIchiban, a Human Warrior like this one but with a spear specialty and a taste of fire magic like Agumon. Agumon kinda likes the idea we can _both_ shoot fireballs, I even shout _Baby Flame_ when I attack now and then, let him know I'm fighting like he is...Agumon's my bud n' all, I kinda wish I could set it up so he could play alongside me but, uh, I heard about what Tentomon did to Koushirou's spare keyboard. I don't think Agumon can do _that_ much damage but all I have that he could use for WoC is a laptop which, uh, I don't think can be as expendable as a cheap keyboard – Especially when it comes to _impalement_! Then again it might keep the damn thing from getting _so hot_ when it runs more than an hour, gaping holes are good ventilation from what I hear. Just as long as he doesn't hit anything _vital_...Which has probably a good 90% chance of happening so, yeah, I'll try to get another keyboard and a copy of Mario Teaches Typing _later_. Maybe for his birthday or something!

...Wait...Do Digimon even _HAVE_ birthdays? I gotta look into that, now...

Well, also, I know Agumon can get pretty "into" a show or game, Mom did _not_ like the time he shot a fireball out the window while I was playing Final Fantasy IX, his way of celebrating me using Vivi's fire spells to finish off a monster or boss. Mom compares it to shooting _fireworks_ out of the apartment. Thankfully, the neighbors have yet to call the police _claiming_ such a thing, ha ha ha! His fireballs _do_ come in handy around new years, though! He fires a bunch of them into the air to help celebrate at midnight, it's a _lot_ of fun! Hikari and even our _Dad_ look forward to it starting around Christmas.

But I won't lie: Agumon kinda gave me an "affinity" towards using fire-based spells and stuff in RPGs like this one. I may be a warrior but I _like_ my fire sub-speciality and elements! Koushirou's the same way with lightning in games while Takeru and Hikari _love_ how Holy is usually the most powerful spell in _any_ RPG. Plus it's usually a one-hit kill spell for demons and vampires...Much like Angemon and Angewomon's attacks against Devimon, Phantomon and _Vamdemon_ (the first time). I barely even _noticed_ that Angemon got Phantomon that time, I remember he nailed Vamdemon in the gut and winded him, then looked to Phantomon and was like "Uh, where'd he go?"

Jyou told me later he saw the attack _graze_ Phantomon and take him out! _Holy crap_ , Takeru! No pun intended.

Actually, speaking of our Mons and technology, Ken got Wormmon one of those tablet things (well, actually, Ken's _parents_ got _Ken_ a tablet for school but Ken lets Wormmon use it as much as he wants) that he's really good at using: He 'types' and using the touch screen with his antennae. It's kinda cool to watch, he's even learning proper spelling and grammar, unlike the rest of our Mons: They don't know anything more advanced than katakana and hiragana (Mostly because a lot of them can't really write or type, lacking hands like Piyomon, Tentomon, Gomamon, Hawkmon, Patamon...You get the idea: Fingers are sort of an issue, even if Wormmon found a workaround). Iori, Ken, Yamato and Koushirou (for _reading_ only, right now) are working on teaching them how to read and write to some degree. Hikari's teaching Tailmon and Agumon for me, she's the better one with Kanji between the two of us...Just don't tell Mom and Dad that since, uh, I'm _supposed_ to be the older and, thus, more educated one.

I'm no slouch at school, though, don't get me wrong! Hikari's just, ah, well, better at studying _and_ managing time than I am. I'm on the soccer team, I sort of lose track of time practicing and stuff. Hikari even tells me I should try harder not to do that, she manages school and her photography club together just fine.

...That and she doesn't play MMOs _nearly_ as much as I've been lately. Daisuke got me to try World of Chaos a month after it first came out and I've been _kinda_ hooked on it. I heard from Jyou it recently claimed Koushirou Izumi as its latest victim, too, I wonder if I'll run into him sometime. Ha ha ha!

At least online I am the _ultimate_ badass leader of YaoiTamerz! Ever since I got into WoC, I wanted to start up a guild for fellow shounen-ai fans. Some place where I make friends I can actually _be_ out to. I don't have to drop hints around them like my other friends for when I _do_ come out...

...Or Daisuke and Ken do. Damn, I was _really_ worried Daisuke "Takato Matsuda is freaking _GAY INCARNATE!"_ Motomiya was ( _insanely_ ) homophobic 'til Hikari told me about Wormmon, him, Ken, a game called "Glue-Face" and the closet in the school gym. I couldn't believe it, Daisuke and Ken _came out of the closet_ in the most literal way possible _:_ Hikari opened the door and the two of 'em fell out with their arms wrapped around each other, it was more than _obvious_ the two were making out until that point. Even _without_ Wormmon ranting about how he wished he could play "glue face" with _Ken!_ Ha ha ha, Hikari says he just doesn't get what "glue face" really _is_. Wormmon honestly thinks it's a game where Daisuke and Ken pretend their faces are glued together.

I wonder if Daisuke was ranting about Takato for the same reason I did: To hint at my preference with the others. Well, that and annoy Daisuke by claiming _he's_ the new "Goggle Boy" of the Chosen Children so, naturally, the Goggle Boy of the Digimon Tamers is based on _him!_ But, seriously, our rants and jokes about Takato and Jen (or Hirokazu and Kenta) are the _only_ time that kinda thing is brought up among the others. I've been wording my arguments less, ah, aggressively than Daisuke and more in a way to hint that I _like_ and pay attention to that kinda thing in anime...So far, no-one's noticed. Except Hikari but she already knows I'm gay so she doesn't count. At least I got someone in _real life_ to talk stuff like this with, Hikari and I hope Hirokazu ends up loving Kenta back. I think it'll happen in the season finale or, maybe, the next movie.

As for the aftermath of the "Daisuke and Ken fall outta the closet" thing, Hikari says she was sworn to secrecy by a scared to death Daisuke and nervous Ken but, well...

...Her gay big brother gets dibs on _any_ juicy gossip like this. I'm actually a little torn on coming out or not based on those two actually: On one hand, I want to do it just to get it over with. On the other hand, I want _them_ to do it so I know whose ass I gotta kick for freaking out on 'em...But, then again, what kind of friend would I be if I let that happen to 'em in the first place? Any of the others who might object should freak out on me and get their asses kicked _then_ Daisuke and Ken will know it's safe to come out...But, at the same time, I _don't wanna_ come out! Not because I'm afraid but...Eh, I'll explain later, let's just say my first attempt didn't go so well and not in the way you'd probably expect.

Hell, I think if I _did_ come out, Daisuke n' Ken'll still be the first ones to _really_ come out, let's just say. Even with Hikari backing me up, I don't see things working out well. And those who _do_ believe me and freak out, like I'm some freak...Eh, I can handle 'em, I've dealt with them online long enough to where I've got a comeback for everything they throw at me verbally. My personal favorite being replying to "You're a fag!" With "How'd you know?" The accusation of being gay usually what I get when I beat some kid with anger issues in a WoC duel, their reactions tend to be kinda funny! The fact the name of my guild, YaoiTamerz, is right under my username _usually_ tips them off that I _might_ be a little on the "gay" side...

...Or they assume I'm a girl playing as a male character. That also happens, it's not _that_ annoying. I know a lot of girls who play as guys in the game, especially because of jerk guys who play as girls and do the /dance command in their "underwear" (the default "no armor" look for all players) for tips...I _hate_ people who do that in game.

Other times, I'll respond to something like "What are you? Some kinda Homo?" with "Only if you're single." _Hehehe_ , that one _always_ pisses off who I'm dealing with. It's all usually online, though, but I can still handle people's negative reactions verbally.

And _physically_ , you ask? I refer you to Devimon, Etemon, Vamdemon, The Dark Masters and Apocalymon for further information on how "scared" I am of confrontation. Let's just say that.

Though, I _really_ hope Koushirou isn't one of said people who would freak out (verbally, naturally, it's hard to see him throwing a punch, even that one time I _told him_ to hit me back in Mugendramon's domain). Main reason is that I kinda like the guy... _A lot_. I know, he's like my total opposite: I'm the athletic one, he's the computer nerd, but...I like the "brains and brawn" mixture, you know? Like with Hirokazu and Kenta in Digimon Tamers! I am a _die hard_ fan of Jenkato and Hirokenta on that show, those are two of my all-time _favorite_ anime slash pairings! Hikari prefers Takato and _Kenta_ , though...I kinda see it but I think Takato's heart belongs to Jenrya, Takato's even picking up a bit of Chinese from him in season two! I mean, the way Takato smiled when he shouted "Ni haaaaaaooooo, Jeeeeeeen!" That one time? Totally in love, end of story! Especially when you throw in Jen's totally shocked "I thought you _sucked_ at Chinese" look. Jen's "I am so happy my best friend is learning my second language" thing comes off as "I am even _more_ in love with him, now! _Wo ai Takato!"_

As of the "Jen saved my life _again_ and got a Pico Dart to the kidney" incident (seriously, _THAT LOOKED REALLY PAINFUL!_ Jen pushed Takato aside and, well, got Pico Darted right in the lower back. He then saw Takato was okay, smiled...And then screamed. A lot. Then passed out while Takato _freaked out!_ ) and Rinchei hanging out at the bakery more often ('cause he's part of Kai's "Ichari" Group of Tamers), Takato's been getting Chinese lessons from Rinchei. He says it's because he knows that Jen speaks Mandarin and is proud of his half-Chinese heritage so he wants a "secret language" (or as _Takato_ put it, _Miwen_ , according to the subtitles) with his best friend. Just to reiterate: Takato Matsuda wants to learn _MANDARIN CHINESE,_ one of the _hardest_ languages out there, so he can have a _secret language_ with his half-Chinese best friend.

Dude, if I had a friend who spoke Chinese, I'd say it shows that I _really freaking like them_ if it means I wanna learn _CHINESE_ so we can have a "secret language!" Jenrya's expression whenever Takato either speaks Chinese or talks about _why_ he's learning it is, ah, "very profound," let's say. In both the "I am so surprised" sense and the "I love you _so_ much more all of a sudden" sense. Hikari's been _chanting_ "Say wo ai ni! Say wo ai ni! Say wo ai ni!" Every time there's a "Takato speaks to Jen in Chinese" scene...I do, too, just not out loud. I do it in my head.

You should _see_ the look on Hikari's face every time, too, it's this sorta " _This. Is. So. Freaking. ADORABLE! Can't. Contain. Urge. To. Squee. Like. Fan. Girl. SQUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEE~!"_ Look! Ha ha ha! She really _did that_ once, letting out this "SQUEE"-kinda noise (I'd call it more of an excited "EEEEEE!") when Jen took Takato's hands and told him "You really _are_ a great leader, Takato-kun. I respect you and treasure the friendship we have, you will always have my support." Hikari _LOST IT_ between Jenrya basically holding Takato's hands and confessing his "respect" for him and the confused and shy blush on Takato's face as he looked up to Jen in, as she put it, "romantic awe." Agumon, Tailmon and I ended up covering our ears while Tailmon asked why humans are so obsessive about "weird things."

Hikari _loves_ having a gay brother just so she has someone to talk anime slash evidence with. But she's gotta realize: Takato and Kenta is bad for one's health: _Takato's!_ Hirokazu would _so_ beat up Takato to get _**his**_ Kenta back...She just doesn't care about the safety of Goggle Boys, does she? Given how many time's she opened up a closet door and had Daisuke fall on the floor with Ken on top of him. That should be an obvious sign of such abuse, shouldn't it? Not to mention _my_ mental health during the infamous "Mom, Dad, what's _Yaoi_? Tai-niichan has a _lot_ of Yaoi things in his favorites" Night of _**Terror.**_ Tsk, tsk, bad Hikari! Bad! Treat us Goggle Boys with more respect!

Ha ha ha, I can't help it: She's fun to tease, and it's my revenge for all those times she teases me about my thing for Koushirou. I keep telling her it _won't_ happen! The God of Love does _not_ like me that much. He _kinda_ gave me the sexual orientation with the most limited and hard to _find_ choices, ya know? I don't see that as all that big of a way of saying "I like you!" Seriously, Daisuke and Ken aside: I don't really know _anyone else_ gay in real life...And those two don't know _I_ know: Hikari told me Daisuke was close to _crying_ while begging her _not_ to tell me. He's _really_ afraid of being found out, even if Ken's implied that Hikari isn't _the first_ to discover their secret. She says the "don't tell Taichi-san" part was what he _really_ focused on, which says a _lot_ because, before, he treated Takeru as a _romantic rival_ for _HIKARI'S_ affection. Hikari Yagami, the girl who just found him making out with his secret boyfriend, who cares if _she_ knows? " _Don't tell your big brother, Hikari-chan! Pleeeaaase!"_ What does _that_ tell you? Aside from "Daisuke Motomiya has _no right_ to call Takato Matsuda a walking, talking personification of the words closet case." No, really, he's called Takato that a couple times.

Actually, on that note: Hikari asked Daisuke if he was gay or bi _because_ of that. She didn't get a clear answer, the two of us wonder if his whole "I love Hikari-chan, damn Takeru to _HELL"_ thing was out of denial over his preference or if he was bi and developed a thing for Ken. That whole "jogress evolution" thing made them _insanely_ close, especially compared to Takeru and Iori or Hikari and Miyako. I never heard any of the others say "It felt like our _very heartbeats_ were in sync" like _Daisuke_ said to _Ken_.

Hikari thinks Daisuke has "orientation" and "masculinity" lumped together in his mind, the sort of "if I'm gay, I'm a sissy" line of thought. It's BS but...I know a _lot_ of guys like Daisuke are afraid of that sort of thing being true so I won't give him too much crap about it. I was sort of afraid of it, too, until that night Hikari accidentally outted me. Now? Trust me, I'm still a guy. I'm just as much of a slob as your average teenage male and I have only _two_ haircare products: Whatever shampoo I see first and water.

Hikari wants to know if she can tell Ken and Daisuke about me soon but...I told her: I kinda wanna open a closet door, have _them_ fall out in front of me and say, _"Huh, you guys are gay, too? Small world!"_ Just to see Daisuke's reaction. She agrees, now, that's probably the best way to do it since Daisuke _will_ probably freak out worse than usual if it's me. Hikari told me she go this vibe that Daisuke is afraid of me having a low opinion of him over all this...

...I want him to clarify: Is he afraid my opinion of him will lower 'cause he's gay or 'cause he might'a been faking his crush on my little sister this whole time? Hikari said it best, _"Both, Tai-niichan. Both."_ Yeah, I'll go with that, too, Ken told her Daisuke was "worse than usual" because _Hikari_ was the one to find out. Hikari suspects his crush on her was _somewhat_ genuine, though, she thinks his feelings shifted towards Ken after their partners jogress evolved together. Like I just pointed out, Daisuke once said something about feeling like their breathing and _heartbeats_ were in sync, Hikari told me that she and Miyako didn't feel _anything_ remotely close to "synchronized cardiopulmonary functionality." She and I assume the same for Iori and Takeru since, for one, Iori's a _little_ young for Takeru and, two, Iori _also_ has a girlfriend he won't admit is his girlfriend...Who also has a _PicoDevimon_ for a partner. Hikari wasn't really thrilled about that ( _more_ thrilled than Takeru and, especially, _Tailmon_ , though) but is willing to give the little guy a chance when they finally meet. Iori says he's really polite. And can eat a whole bag of pizza rolls in one sitting. I kinda wanna see that. Watching Digimon eat is weirdly fascinating, plus I wanna get Agumon and Takeru Kobayashi together in an eating competition someday. I _gotta_ know who would win!

But, anyway, Koushirou's been my friend since before The Digital World since we went to the same school pretty much our whole lives. He'd help me study and stuff (even _did_ some of my homework for me back in kindergarten and first grade 'cause I sorta sucked at the basic Kanji we were learning, the teacher wised up by grade two and they made him my official Kanji tutor 'til about a year before the Digital World), plus I once asked him if he could make a bunch of clips of me playing soccer and stuff, you know? I know Hikari would've been the best to turn to but, well, it was kinda close to his birthday I remember overhearing Koushirou talking about how he wanted a camera he could connect to his computer so it gave me an excuse to hang out with him for a day in Akihabara...

...I ain't gonna lie, I pretended it was a date, kinda, like and lunch and dinner and _totally_ when he fell asleep on my shoulder on the train ride home, I felt like the luckiest closeted gay guy _on Earth!_ Hikari's the only one who knows about my crush on him and all. She forced it outta me during one of her _routine_ "Who do you like? Why don't you ask someone out? You look so lonely, Taichi-niichan! You need a cute boyfriend!" Talks. It's _really_ embarrassing when she does that but, well, I like having someone else to talk to about this kinda thing. No way in _HELL_ could I ever talk to _my parents_ about this so casually (they don't even know I have a thing for Koushirou) and, well, a little sister who's a _total_ shounen-ai obsessive _is_ a good source of support when you're a gay teenage male with no-one else outside of the internet to turn to.

Ever since she outted me years ago, she's been trying to find me a boyfriend, I think she still feels guilty over it even if it _was_ kinda my fault, too. I shouldn't have let her just _use_ my computer like that with a bunch of yaoi sites in my favorites. I mean, that's just _begging_ for trouble, ya know? But I'm not Koushirou when it comes to computers: Trouble is my middle name when it comes to hardware, software, clicking the wrong link, deleting the wrong file or just about anything you can _think of_ that can go wrong with a computer. Especially back then.

And, to be honest, I also didn't expect my _parents_ to know what yaoi _was_. _That_ was even more embarrassing but, like my Dad said, _"I was your age, too, Taichi, I had...certain interests, too—Not...Like_ this _but...Yo-You know...You know what I mean, right?"_ I-I did, I did...I didn't think my _own father_ looked at yaoi. If he did, though, I doubt it would have made anything any less awkward. Hell, I think it would have made things MORE awkward and terrifying to the point where Vamdemon would've been about as scary as Count Chocula in comparison, he could'a busted through the wall then and there and I'd _thank him_ for the distraction! It would be one of those types of memories where you wanna crack your skull open and pour bleach on your brain and may imminent death from at-home brain surgery and pouring hazardous chemicals directly on your gray matter _be_ **_damned!_**

Of course, the moment it happened I was _a wreck_ , Hikari walks out of my room after using my PC and two minutes later my parents call me into the living room. Mom and Dad are next to each other on the couch and Hikari's sitting on the armchair by the coffee table. Then my _Mom_ flat out asks, "Taichi, are you gay?" With my Dad giving me this really confused "...Is he...?" Sorta look, the guy was _studying me,_ that's what it felt like to me, at least! My Mom asks the _last question_ I ever want her to ask while my Dad is looking at me like " _Is my son...an Alien...?"_ Kinda look.

Way to induce a heart attack, guys! No lead up or _anything_ , just...Blunt force verbal trauma to the heart...

...And tear ducts...Maybe Daisuke's right, Takato _is_ based on me because all I could do was _cry_. I cried a _ton_. I mean, for, like, five minutes I couldn't make out a single word but "I'm sorry" as I cried into my Mom's shoulder as she tried to console me. Dad was busy dealing with Hikari because she started to cry because of me (she was afraid she got me in _HUGE_ trouble), but he still said "It's okay, Taichi! It's okay! Don't cry, _please_ , don't cry! You, too, Hikari-chan! Taichi isn't in trouble! Neither of you did anything wrong!" Hikari was _wailing_ apologies to me and our parents, telling me she was sorry she made Mom and Dad _mad_ at me... _That. Did. Not. Help._ I focused more on _those words_ than "It's okay, Taichi. We're not mad" from our parents.

 _Nothing_ they could say or do would make me stop. When Hikari cried, too, that just got me goin' worse. Seriously, if we had a stop watch goin', I bet there'd be _some_ kind of world record broken there between the two of us. The _entire time_ before we finally calmed down my Dad was the one who consoled Hikari while Mom kept saying not be afraid and stuff. Dad said he wasn't mad at _either_ of us and that "if it was the case" I was still his son, nothing would change, the usual _good_ reaction parents give when they find out you're gay by total accident and you freak out, ya know? Looking back, I'm _forever_ thankful that I cried 'til my eyeballs shriveled to the _good_ reaction, not the...one no-one wants to think about. Y'know, the "I have no son" thing...

Mom later told me that she had _no idea_ what Dad thought about gays when it all happened (it was all kinda dropped on 'em outta nowhere 'cause of Hikari) and told me that if he _did_ go the "I have no son" route, she'd've threatened the "I have no husband" route on him. Dad just said he's proud of me no matter _what_ and, ah, kinda hopes I find someone. I know he doesn't directly _say it_ like Hikari but he's been trying to drop "when I was your age I had a...Ah...Romantic partner..." hints. I told him he can _say_ 'girlfriend' and I'll know what he means but my Dad is sort of the first to admit he's a little awkward around the topic 'cause he doesn't want to accidentally offend me and doesn't know _that much_ about "gay lifestyles" or "gay anything," though he's been to a few advice websites on having a gay son or daughter. And once got _PISSED_ when he found a "how to fix your gay son or daughter" homophobic site _,_ I told him I was really glad he was that supportiveof me, he sent the website a _very_ strongly worded letter that they, of course, ignored.

Mom told him early on, regarding the 'gay lifestyle' versus 'straight lifestyle' thing he was confused about, _"Up to the point where Taichi comes home with his boyfriend, it's probably about the same as a straight lifestyle, I think."_

When I did finally _admit_ that I was gay, my parents were really surprised. I mean, I'm _not_ your "average" gay guy, I guess. I'm not flaming, I'm _not_ effeminate, I don't say "fabulous" or actively hit on guys (a couple jokes Koushirou's way once or twice and my "anti-Takato" banter against Closet-Casuke Motomiya, aside) and, well, I'm not "out and proud." I had a feeling _that_ would be a bad idea after Yamato started goin' out with Sora. It was, like, two weeks after BelialVamdemon. We ran into each other in town and had a quick chat on our way through the shopping district. Yamato wanted to buy something for Sora and asked me for advice. I thought it was sorta random 'til the we started talking and I found out the _real_ reason...

" _Hey, Taichi-kun, um, look, I've been meaning to ask you, remember how Sora showed up with that, um, gift for me at that Christmas concert the Teenage Wolves held?"_

 _"Yeah, why? Don't tell me she gave you some ugly handmade scarf or some inedible homemade cookies."_

 _"Ha ha, funny. No, it was some sheet music, a couple custom guitar picks and things like that, stuff for my music. One of the picks, um, it had 'I love you' engraved into it, heart-shaped pick and all."_

 _"Awesome!"_

 _"Well, that's kinda the thing...You wouldn't mind if we went out, would you? I mean, Sora's all on board but I told her, um, I was worried_ you _might like her or something, I mean, you two are kinda close n' all."_ We were? I-I always saw Sora as this close friend, you know? I guess...Well, okay, maybe on the outside if you thought I was _straight_ it'd look like I was in love but on the inside?

Just a good friend. I even _told her_ that after Hikari accidentally put a heart by my name in an email I sent her during that Diablomon crap (the _FIRST TIME!_ Gods, first Vamdemon now _that thing_ comes back? Gods, if I have to see Piemon _again_ I'm gonna _scream_ and hopefully turn him into a key chain _myself_ and use a magnifying glass on him on a _REALLY_ hot and _sunny_ day! "Do you expect me to surrender, Chosen Child?" "No, Piemon, I _expect you to die!"_ I've _always_ wanted to say that!), she understood it was an accident but thought it was a 'nice touch' since it was an apology email: LONG story to a _LONGER_ day...That ended with a ( _thankfully_ ) disarmed nuclear missile landing not too far from my apartment...The emergency UN meeting after _that_ was probably the first and _only time_ I've ever been interested in world politics. Plus Mom and Dad were _glued_ to the political channel for the next _MONTH_ since, well...

... _You could see it from our balcony!_ Yeesh, I nearly had a heart attack as a _nuclear device_ came outta sky at me, the words "Pleasedon'texplode! Pleasedon'texplode! Pleasedon'texplode!" Running through my head _nonstop!_ Koushirou nearly fainted when _he_ saw it!

" _Eh? You're serious?"_

" _Of course, Taichi, I-I just told her I wanted to be sure you were okay with it before we made it official. It's no problem, right? You're my best friend and all, so...If you_ did _like her and all..."_

" _Ha ha ha! Ya-Yama-kun, trust me. I won't mind if you two went out. Sora...Ha ha, Sora's definitely not my type."_ I don't know _why_ but...Every time someone _does_ ask me about girls and I gotta do the whole "fake hetero" thing, I have trouble _not_ laughing. I wonder if the reason I find it so funny is because my subconscious is screaming "ARE YOU BLIND? I'M GAY, STUPID!" Which bugs me in the sense that I _don't_ wanna be _obvious_ , ya know? Hell, the new guy in YaoiTamerz didn't think I was gay! Though the guy kinda, and I mean no offense with this but he sounded kinda like a _serious_ closet case. He didn't suspect a _thing_ about a _guy_ who runs a Digimon Shounen-Ai themed Guild! I mean, _seriously_ , most new members just assume I'm gay _because_ of the guild! In fact, most of the girls tell me they wanna be "online best friends" since I'm a _guy_ who likes shounen-ai...They, um, kinda act like I'm some super rare species of guy...I didn't know male slash fans were _that_ rare (I wonder what they'd've thought if I was _straight_ , to be honest...I might just fake it next time to see what happens).

 _"Really? Then, wow, if it's not_ Sora _of all people...Who is your type? ...Mimi?"_ I swear, the fact he threw out Mimi made me wonder if he _did_ know and was screwing with me 'cause of the whole 'gays love fashion' stereotype (I know _nothing_ of fashion, Mimi's pointed this out to me a thousand times: She was more or less our "Fashion Police" before she moved and I got cited _a lot_ ). But I then realized Mimi was the only other girl we know mutually who could be a candidate for dating: Miyako's _totally_ obsessed with Ken, for which Hikari and I are going to be _SO_ sorry for her the day Wormmon complains her about how Daisuke's the only one allowed to play "Glue Face" with Ken while leading her to the nearest closet...Also, I _really_ wish I could see the look on Ken's face when this topic comes up with Wormmon (Seriously, Wormmon's told Hikari that's _he's asked_ Ken to "play glue-face" with him, his description of Ken's response sounds like he just awkwardly changes the subject but, _damn it,_ I wanna see his expression when it comes up someday). And the other female "option" remaining would've made me punch him for even _joking_ about her like that!

Though Hikari was later mentioned in the form of "Don't tell her or him I said this but _any_ chance she might like Takeru? I heard him mumbling her name to himself at his computer during a surprise visit..." I said I had no info either way for Yamato but, at the time, mentioned his only competition was Daisuke so he had a pretty good shot...This was obviously BEFORE I found out Daisuke and Ken's favorite game is "Glue Face." Now Takeru has _no_ competition.

 _"Guys."_ I figured, what the hell? Might as well _tell someone!_ And Yamato's always been my best friend, I thought his reaction would set the tone for everyone else. That and if he kept listing girls I knew, I had a feeling he'd figure it out on his own or get suspicious since I don't _know_ that many girls outside of the other Chosen Children (offline, at least...Online? _Lots_ of shounen-ai fangirls, like Kenta! Not the Tamer, the YaoiTamer. She plays as a guy because she used to get cat calls with her old character). Or anyone else outside of my fellow Chosen Children, to be honest, just a few of the guys on my soccer team...We're all a pretty tightly knit group of friends as "Chosen Children," so we hang out with each other _all the time_ when we can (even Mimi we see a _lot_ for someone who lives in New York, thanks to The Digital World and all. Digital Gate travel cuts down on paying for plane tickets!).

" _Gu-GUYS?"_

 _"Yeah, guys."_

There was this long silence as Yamato just stared at me, I didn't back down or anything, even though I was kinda nervous he was gonna freak out. I mean, if Yamato _was_ homophobic, well, I think the guy who holds the _crest of friendship_ would get over it pretty quick, ya know?

 _"...Bwa ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha! O-Oh, Gods! Taichi...Man, you...Ha ha ha! You had me going! Great one! Ha ha ha!"_ ...Or just not believe a word I said. Seriously, he _STILL_ thinks I'm joking and I've "come out" to him more than a _dozen_ times since then! Usually when he talks girls and I say, "Yamato, I'm gay. Remember?" After that, he'll either tell me to knock off the old joke or play along. Depends on his mood, I guess.

" _Dude, it wasn't a joke! I'm gay!"_

 _"Su-Sure you...Ha ha ha! Sure you are, Taichi! So am I! Sora's just gonna help me look straight! We're going shopping tomorrow, there...ha ha ha..there's a sale at Hana Kutsu's Shoe Emporium! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! Oh,_ GODS! _A-After...After BelialVamdemon, Taichi-kun, I_ needed _that laugh! You? Gay? Oh, man...! Ha ha ha! I-I can't believe I thought you were_ serious _at first. Ha ha ha!"_ I figured it was best _not_ to ask _why the hell_ do straight people all assume gays love shoe shopping or have this weird obsession with footwear? I'm totally serious! I thought "stiletto" was the Italian word for "stilt" until I was fourteen (granted, I was _kinda_ right but...)! _Mimi_ was the one who finally told me it was a high heel! Hell, half the time my own _socks_ don't even match and I don't give a crap! And don't get me _started_ on all the skin and body care products Hikari has that she _claims_ guys use...

...I didn't even know they _made_ stuff like that or even what half of it is _for!_ Seriously, the gayest thing I've ever done with my hair is apply mousse _once!_ Actually, my Mom did when I was, like, ten. It was for a friend's wedding and I sorta hated it, it made my hair look weird.

Am I like some sort of anomaly or something? 'Cause 99% of all gay stereotypes do _not_ apply to me!

...Or Daisuke, for that matter. _Especially_ the whole "gays are neat, tidy and pay close attention to personal hygiene" thing. That's Ken's department, if anything – Guy's _kinda_ into how nice his hair looks, I think, I see him combing it _a lot_. And, ah, his hairstyle has gotten him _mistaken_ for a girl in the past, no joke, it's sorta funny to see his annoyed reaction _every time_. It happens when people spot him from behind and shout, _"Excuse me! Young lady!"_

Yamato's reaction did set a tone: No-one'd believe me! Even my _Dad_ told me, after I told him how Yamato took it, he said, _"To be honest, Taichi...I forget sometimes. You're..._ really _subtle. Not that it's a bad thing or anything and I don't_ mean to _or_ want _to forget but, well, you're just a real shock when someone finds out! I-I didn't believe it at first that night Hikari told us about your computer but...The way you acted sort of, um, confirmed it."_ Yeah, I think if I _didn't_ break down crying and just accused Hikari of making a bad joke instead, I might _still_ be in the closet at home...

...But I kinda like being out at home. No-one judges me and, even with Hikari _constantly_ telling me to find a boyfriend, I'm happy. My parents are cool about it, they'll even ask if there's anyone I like at school now and then. It doesn't come up that much at all with my parents ( _Hikari_ is another story...) but I think that's more because I _don't_ have a boyfriendor really openly talk about guys I like. I haven't mentioned Koushirou but they know how I feel about coming out, at least, I _don't_ want a month of people asking "where's the camera?" I _think_ I'll find a boyfriend _first_ and then come out when _he_ wants to come out. If he's not already out, that is, I think for _me_ at least, I'd have to find someone _already_ out and proud 'cause I'm not the kind of person to really pry for details on stuff like this...Well, okay, Daisuke and Ken made me realize the _one_ stereotype that _does_ apply to me is gossip. I told Hikari, in my _gayest_ moment: _"Daisuke and_ Ken? _Hikari-chan, I want_ every single detail _from the moment you ran into Wormmon until_ right now! _"_ Hikari did this sorta double take and asked if I realized what I just said and _how freaking gay_ I sounded...

...It was _pretty_ "gay stereotypical," ya know? Like you know that "gay voice" some flaming sitcom characters tend to have? I had _that voice_ up to _eleven_ while _demanding_ gossip about two gay friends from my little sister. That was the single gayest moment of my life because _none of it_ was done jokingly, that was me being, well, _FABULOUS~!_

We both laughed and she gave me the full story from when she found Wormmon and asked if he knew where Ken was, she had borrowed a flash drive from him and wanted to return it. Wormmon, being sweet n' innocent little Wormmon, did _not_ realize that when Ken-chan is making out with his boyfriend in a closet it's _heavily_ implied that he does _not_ want to be disturbed. I sorta _love_ how those two came out of the closet in the most literal way _possible_. And how Daisuke begged for Hikari to keep quiet, she said Ken didn't really seem to care outsid _e_ of this, as Hikari described it, _"Not AGAIN, Wormmon...!"_ Sort of vibe, but he just couldn't show _any_ sign of anger towards his partner (Ken said, a certain alter-ego aside, it's _impossible_ for him to so much as get _annoyed_ with Wormmon because he's, well, _Wormmon!_ Even _I_ wanna hug the little guy and tell him he's the most adorable little green bug in the history of little green bugs!). Wormmon just sat in Ken's lap as he sat on the floor behind Daisuke as _he_ groveled at Hikari's feet. Possibly _crying_ at the same time.

I admit, I was _kinda_ jealous of them since, well, they _had each other!_ I'm not, like, _lonely_ or anything, I don't sit in my room staring at a picture of Koushirou thinking, _"Why can't we be together, my love? How I love thee, Koushirou-chan, let me count the ways..."_ Or mope over the fact I probably won't have a boyfriend for a _long_ time but, damn, Daisuke and Ken got _lucky!_ Even with a partner that _constantly_ ends up outting them to their friends, they got each other. Me? Eh, I don't _obsess_ over the fact I'm not with Koushirou-kun but, well, it'd be nice if we _could_ be together...Or _anyone_ , I mean I _know_ Koushirou's _not_ someone I can go out with anyway. Dude's gotta be straight or asexual. I mean, I don't see him as gay, that's for sure. And his computer obsession?

...Admit it, Kou-kun, you got some porn on there, don'tcha? Hehehe, we _all_ look at it, some of us just prefer different _types,_ ya know? Juuuust saying that I don't really see him talking to girls in real life. Online? I just stated my theory.

Either way, I'm happy as it is. And I've got my fellow YaoiTamerz to be out to online. I sometimes wish I'd run into Daisuke or Ken on World of Chaos, though. I mean, we use voice chat so we'd recognize each other and _finally_ get it out in the open. Hikari already knows to keep quiet about me and not tell anyone else we know about them since I _think_ they need to come out on their own, especially Daisuke. I think he's only admitted it to himself and Ken (and Hikari), plus, um, he _kinda_ went overboard with the "Taichi Obsession" _before_ he met Ken. Not saying he'd drop Ken for me but...I don't want a _gay_ version of "Taichi Obsessed Daisuke" any time soon, Hikari's pretty sure he _did_ have a crush on me back then, mostly due to how distracted Daisuke once got while she spoke to him and he realized I was on skins in the middle of a shirts and skins game going on behind her...He got _really_ distracted by "something" at the time, she made the connection after the "glue face" incident.

Amazing how Daisuke and I _both_ do the "Takato's so freakin' gay" thing _, too_. I think for Daisuke, he's weeding out people who agree with him (which explains how over-the-top he can be about how "gay incarnate" Takato is), though thus far _I'm_ the only one who joins in his "argument." I rant about Takato more to "hint" at myself, I try to word my "arguments" in a way the fan girls would arguing over who Takato likes: Jen or Kenta or Hirokazu or whoever. Just adding, "He's based on _you_ , Daisuke" to it to bug\gauge Daisuke, before I knew about him and Ken – Now it's just to hint that I _know the truth!_ Daisuke? Sounded _kinda_ pissed over how "gay" the character "based on him" is. Again, Hikari and I think some of it is that he's afraid that being associated with _anything_ gay is putting his masculinity at stake...

...Well, okay, gay or straight or bi or asexual or _whatever:_ Takato Matsuda is _kinda_ , ah, "girly," let's say. So that might also explain why Daisuke _hates it_ when I joke Takato's based on him. Or when he's mistaken for a Takato fan\cosplayer who got the wrong color goggles.

Daisuke, he's not based on _either_ of us. I mean, they went with a _totally_ different world and _rules_ to have Digimon, it's all merchandising, merchandising, merchandising! Why do they card slash? To sell cards! Why did Jenrya get Terriermon out of a video game? To sell video games! Why does Takato have a bunch of Digimon collectable toys in his room? To sell toys! Why is it an anime? To get sponsors and boost the sale of cards, toys and video games! DIGIMON IS A MULTIBILLION YEN FRANCHISE, DAISUKE! Not some little secret we try to hide from the general public anymore! We're just the guys the pointed it out to the marketing department, ya know?

Daisuke just doesn't get that, I think. I wonder if _Ken_ might be trying to talk him into reality but...That's easier said than done with Daisuke. In fact, I've seen him _still_ claim V-mon is a "stuffed toy" like he used to (it was more believable with Chibimon, he looked like a plush: V-mon is much larger and _has scales!_ I've yet to run into a snakeskin teddy bear), and this was to someone _with a real Terriermon_ he had on his shoulders on the subway, joking, " _Yeah, we like to pretend we're Jenrya and Terriermon, too. Ha ha, I hope your Digimon shows up on Digimon Tamers sometime, too!"_ Daisuke and some of the others still act like no-one really knows about _real_ Digimon at times, it's sorta weird but...Well, it _was_ kinda weird to be able to take Agumon around outside after the news started reporting about "Digital Monster Pets" (Digimon are _not_ pets!) leaping out of computer screens.

Actually, what I think _really_ bugs Daisuke about Takato isn't that he's "super gay," it's the fact _no-one_ knows that _Daisuke_ (and Ken) saved the world from BelialVamdemon, he's often mistaken for a "bad Takato cosplayer" because he has _the wrong goggles_. Which, by the way, a _lot_ of people wear yellow goggles on their heads, especially people with reptile or dragon-type Digimon who love Digimon Tamers – They've marketed Takato's goggles as a new fashion trend (Daisuke gets _so_ annoyed every time some tells me "You can buy the _right_ _kind_ of goggles at..."). So, yeah, Daisuke and I are no longer making a "unique fashion statement" with goggles on our heads...

...Actually, now that _Kai_ is a Digimon Tamer and the second season's Goggle Boy, Daisuke's starting to be seen as a "Kai cosplayer" more and more because their goggles are _really_ similar (and they haven't mass produced Kai's yet, just Takato's which, like I said, are _huge_ with reptile\dragon-like Digimon "Tamers"\Chosen Children). But Daisuke still doesn't like being mistaken for a 24\7 anime cosplayer, either (especially since they always point out "Kai's hair is longer, are you gonna grow yours out, too?" Kai does have that ponytail, after all, and it got longer in season 2, it goes halfway down his back now). At least the studio knew how important goggles are to us Chosen Children – Daisuke and Yamato's band came up with a _freaking theme song_ for Goggles before Digimon became the mega-popular franchise it is now. Daisuke wrote the lyrics (with Ken and Yamato's help) and the band wrote the music, the song's called "Goggle Boy." Yamato even put it on his first album: Tobira~Door~. It's pretty catchy, actually, I'm surprised Daisuke came up with a lot of it, Ken and Yamato said all they did was spelling (Ken) and make lyrics fit the tune a little better (Yamato). Pretty much 90% of the song's lyrics are Daisuke's work!

It's kinda hard to believe Daisuke _wrote a song_ for Yamato's band...About how awesome his goggles are. Daisuke, you can _tone it down a notch!_ Don't turn goggles into the new gay fashion stereotype—Well, actually, I'd support that solely on the grounds that I know a _helluva_ lot more about goggles than _shoes!_ That and, well, it'd make finding a boyfriend a _lot_ easier if "Goggles on your forehead" was the new gay fashion trend.

But, yeah, "Goggle Boy" is kinda popular among fans of Yamato's band (Teenage Wolves), which is why the studio made sure the "leader" always got a pair of goggles. Heh, what's kinda funny, though: The song "Goggle Boy" ended up as an _insert_ song in Digimon Tamers season two, Yamato's band got paid for it and everything. Even with Daisuke got some royalty money since he wrote the lyrics. The guy was on top of the world when it happened and _not_ because he got a huge check from Toei, _his song_ was gonna be on _Digimon!_

Yamato called us all together saying he had an announcement, when we all arrived he told us how Toei wanted to use Goggle Boy as an insert song for Digimon Tamers (it's the "Kai and Takato do something really heroic" theme, a hard rock remix of the song performed by Yamato's band, it sounds pretty awesome!). Daisuke went _nuts_ , then _twice_ as insane when Yamato pulled out a check an said, _"Oh, and Dai-kun? This is for you, the studio paid us royalties and you_ do _have credit as the songwriter. This is for you."_ I caught a glimpse of that check, too, _lots_ of zeroes. Daisuke bought us all ice cream to celebrate.

The show first played the "regular" version (the one on the album, not the "rock and roll" version) at the end of episode three: The episode ends with Kai walking off a plane with Betamon and Takato's standing there with a sign that says "Urazoe Kai" with _his_ goggles on his head, Kai dons his pair and the song starts playing as they meet, replacing the usual ending theme and animation with a montage of Kai getting used to "city life" with his cousin. So, it's an official staple of the show: Every season and game, according to our "source" with the studio and game company, will feature a main character with goggles. Yamato even said they're asking The Teenage Wolves to write some more "Digimon songs," he's working on a new one for the movie that's coming out this Winter. The band's behind it now that they all have a partner. He says he can't believe how _Daisuke_ got his band to take off like that over a song about goggles. He even asked Daisuke for help writing some more songs, though he says the results "vary" when it comes to brainstorming ideas with him but also said, _"Taichi, he sometimes can't rhyme for_ shit _but...Damn it if it he's not the most_ enthusiastic _song writer I've ever seen! We're working on a new one called 'Ashita' for the movie, I might asked Daisuke if he wants to sing it, too, I think his voice suits it better...Does this mean Daisuke just joined my band, Tai-kun?"_ Yep, I think so, Yama-kun...I think so.

On a related note: You can actually _get_ goggles as an accessory in World of Chaos. They boost intelligence since engineer-type characters usually wear them, I've been trying to find a yellow pair for a new guild member since he said he plans to make his character a cross between Takato and Jenrya, after all. So far, though, the auction houses have been out of goggles (they're _kinda_ rare). I know Daisuke paid a _ton_ for some goggles that boosted his strength stat instead of intellect for his main character: GoggleBoyDai – And, yes, hearing "You spelled 'Kai' wrong _will_ provoke him into either Player Killing a rival faction player or challenging a same-faction character to a duel _regardless_ of any level differences that may or may not be in his favor.

Either way, I _think_ I've spent enough time on WoC for the day, I just finished off one of our rival guild leaders in a duel: TheBurningHorde, they declared war on us 'cause, well, let's just say I got to use my favorite "response" to the word "Fag" (ie: "How'd you know?") when a few of their higher ups saw our guild title during a(n attempted guild co-op) dungeon raid we offered to help them on (MASSIVE Kobold faction dungeon, they might be dog-people instead of werewolves but they ain't ones to go down easy! We just offered to help since we'd been preparing to do it ourselves for a few weeks), but they instead made a bunch of slurs at the guys and cat calls at Kenta-chan's old (female) avatar. She was an elf and, unfortunately, this is one of those "Elves\Female humanoids that wear sexy revealing armor"-types of games (I kinda _hate that_ , why do all female avatars have to wear chain mail bikinis and crap like that? Hikari's character, at least, wears long robes and the armor that doesn't reveal much: Kenta had to switch to a male 'cause her class didn't offer a good selection of _modest_ armor). You'll even see female characters dance in their underwear for money – _Seriously!_ It's annoying, especially when they follow you and demand cash for "the show" – It's pretty much 100% guaranteed I'll type, "Well, if you were a MALE elf, maybe..." When they go that far. But _that_ was enough to where she switched to her current male avatar. I helped her level it for the next week, too, but they were pretty mean to her so I don't blame her for changing avatars – I hate the super macho sexist jerks you'll find in these games _so much_. It's just annoying when someone's making cat calls at a _bunch of polygons!_

...So, anyway, we, kinda, maybe, sorta, VERY HAPPILY raided their Guild Base, these purchasable buildings that range from small camps or cave dwellings to _HUGE_ forts! Some guys have even made full blown _cities_ with their guild, their own armies and everything! This game puts an emphasis on land ownership and warring factions of players instead of the usual pre-written "war torn fantasy world" story for the whole game, each server's got its own unique history and power struggles based on the players.

We raised their HQ, this "wooden fort" type of building they put a _ton_ of work into designing for defense (which made things even _sweeter!_ ), while they were busy getting murdered in the Kobold Dungeon. They took almost _all_ their online members with them! Hehehe, it was pretty much wide open to attack once we set their group as an enemy guild after they called us a bunch of "wussy little faggots." We could tell they were getting destroyed in the dungeon since the fort we attacked was also their respawn location after getting killed (they called it "Hatred Fortress" – Kinda fitting but I know they based it on a Suikoden V location), so each time they died in the dungeon, they respawned there...For about ten seconds, when you have a respawn point instead of dying you're sent there _once_ with your HP at 20-50% as a penalty, which made it _super_ easy to kill them "for real," the second time you're killed in 24 hours, you get respawned at some graveyard and your ghost has to find your corpse to revive - At o _ne-third HP!_ Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

It was YaoiTamerz finest hour, we got a ton of loot and gold from them and sooo many RPK (Rival Player Kills) added to our stats. We also called in some help from a couple allied guilds, too, and split the winnings. The Akiyama Brigade (Ryou Akiyama and Ruki Makino fanatics, most of the female avatars there are as tough as Ruki in the show, usually with high physical attack-type classes. The guys try to mimic Ryou as super-good "ace" types with optimized stats. It's a roleplay guild, mostly – They even pretend to hate each other like Ryou and Ruki do in the show, except the shippers who think they secretly do love each other, just not very "affectionately") was the biggest help, they've got the highest levels. They allied with us since the leader is actually bi, so he named it after "the best looking guy in Digimon Tamers" and the whole thing evolved from there. I think the "Ruki" half came from his sister, a Ruki fanatic, joining up and jokingly complaining about the name all the time, he said she was the first "Ruki" to join. Her friends followed suit along with a lot of his friends ( _AND_ his _**boyfriend,**_ lucky bisexual bastard! ...I'm _not_ jealous, just...Envious!) did the same, each choosing to be either a "Ruki" or "Ryou," it's a really cool guild!

In the end, though, the guys lost their base, we had the choice of taking it over or torching it (Which let them keep it, technically, but they'd have to spend _tens of thousands_ in in-game cash to rebuild) and whatever we didn't take...

...We voted with the Akiyama Brigade and anyone else who join in helping: Keep or burn?

The final decision?

BURN, BABY! _BUUURN! Ahahahahaha!_

What? They started it! They called us a very offensive word (or dozen) and insulted a lot of our female guild mates. We didn't like that so we retaliated by asking our affiliates to burn one of their bases to _the freakin' ground!_ Best part was it was one of their biggest and, since we're all small guilds, we don't have Guild Bases like they do so we're not open to raids (getting killed is just a pain, but we're all pretty high leveled and work well as a team) like they are. They were caught _totally_ off guard, their leader was _pissed_.

And that first raid felt _good_. I've come to learn that lighting a scented candle is nowhere _near_ as stress relieving as lighting a massive fort on fire.

We've got some of them begging for mercy but...We want them to _apologize_ before we promise to let up on them. Especially since they _still_ insist on saying that in "real life" they'd kick our asses...

...Not to sound vain or egotistical but as a _soccer legend_ and _Chosen Child_ , I strongly disagree with that sentiment! Ha ha ha!

Now, thanks to some of our older members, we're really starting to get popular compared to them. Kenta-chan found us a new one the other day who has the _coolest_ name! _Jenkato!_ Ha ha ha! He's the guy who didn't suspect me and who I'm trying to find the yellow goggles for. We all thought someone would've taken the username but, during our first dungeon raid with him, he said he created it not too long before school break for kicks. And, like I said, he's planning to make his character a combo of Jen, Terriermon, Takato and Guilmon. Sounds _awesome_ , I might wanna try that with Hirokenta but...

...Something tells me the "Kenta" (or MarineAngemon) portion of that character will be bright pink. So _not_ my color. Maybe Hirokazu\Takato? An engineer with fire specialty? Hirokato!

Jenkato's pretty into the game, too, Kenta-chan says he roleplays his character during voice chat and everything. But he'll still talk out of character if he needs to so he's not one of those _super_ hardcore roleplay types (thank the Gods, too, some of them take the game so seriously they suck the fun out of it).

All right, I think I'll go post a couple items at the city auction house and hit the park with Agumon, maybe get some ice cream for him. I swear, our Digimon are _hooked_ on junk food...Save for _Wormmon_ aka Ken's Little Brother. His _parents_ call him that, if ya'd believe it! Ken was _amazed_ since, well, he thought _that term_ would open up some "painful history," let's call it, for them but they actually treat him _like_ a little brother for Ken. But, when it comes to food, Wormmon prefers those herbal vitamin drinks, if anything, and _always_ eats his vegetables (he even _loves_ vegetarian sushi, most of the other partners can't stand it!). Armadimon comes in as a distant second since Iori's Grandpa got him hooked on those vitamin jelly drinks he likes but he doesn't really get the "little brother" treatment Wormmon does. It kinda fits with Wormmon, though, he's the only partner who uses "-chan" on anyone's name _and_ takes their partner's happiness so seriously.

All right, just put the sword I won in my last duel (guy put it down as a wager, I wagered 200 Gold coins) up for auction, it's a Rank A item, so I _know_ I'm gonna get some serious cash for it (and it gives _him_ a chance to get it back from me, I warned him I was the best in my guild at dueling)...Time to log off.

"Hey, Agumon," I turn from my PC, Agumon's sleeping on my bed. He wakes up.

"Huh? What is it, Taichi?"

"Wanna hit the park and grab some ice cream?"

Without a word, Agumon's already running to the door to grab my coat. Then he quickly starts chanting. "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Ha ha ha! Yep, just say the name of _any_ kind of junk food and our partners will go to Hell and back for it. And Agumon's got the _biggest_ appetite out of all our partners, I think. He and Gomamon, Agumon likes just about _anything_ (especially ice cream and burgers) while Gomamon, naturally, is _obsessed_ with seafood and sushi. Jyou says he put aside part of his budget for Gomamon's all time favorite snack: Shrimp chips, these french fry shapes chips that are shrimp flavored. Jyou says that every day at 5:00, Gomamon sits on the couch with a bag of shrimp chips and watches the newest episode of Gundam. Which is _also_ on the Kido family DVR - Jyou says hitting "play all" for _any_ Gundam season is a good distraction for Gomamon. And, uh, given how _hyperactive_ Gomamon can get, his family is _very_ happy to know there is _something_ in this world that can stop him when he's bouncing off the walls...He'll still bounce around and make a ton of noise but then it's limited to the living room couch.

"Down, boy, down!" I laugh. I figured I could use that little thing called sunshine since I spent so much time WoC with out new guild member. Seriously, Jenkato, for a guy who's _never_ been on a dungeon raid and just joined his first guild, he's pretty good! I hope he stays active in the guild, I like hanging out with the guy.

Even _if_ the whole "roleplay in voice chat" thing is _kinda_ weird.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Heart Shaped Goggles  
III

 _Lunch, Jenrya and Takato walked down the hallway to the cafeteria together. Saint Valentine's Day decorations, mostly paper hearts, were placed all over the walls._

" _Got any plans for Saint Valentine's, Takato-kun?" Jenrya asked, trying his best to keep his smile in check. He fumbled around with the pair of goggles in his pocket with one hand both excitedly and nervously, while he held his backpack strap on one side with his other hand. He couldn't believe his luck in_ finding _a pair of heart goggles in the park: The perfect "gag gift" for his goggled friend._

 _Takato shook his head. "Nah, it's not really my thing."_

 _"Not gonna ask out Juri or anyone...?"_

 _"Juri? No," Takato let out a quiet laugh. "Juri's just a good friend but I-I wouldn't ask her out to the dance or anything like that."_

 _Jenrya paused, Takato continued a few steps ahead of him before stopping and stared back for a moment. He was surprised to hear Takato_ wouldn't _consider asking Juri to the dance, he was_ certain _that Takato liked her._

" _Jen-kun?" Takato asked._

' _You..._ don't _like Juri? I mean, you're the whole reason she's part of the New Tamers and all." He was expecting to hear Takato follow up the words 'not ask her out to the dance' with something like 'I'd rather plan a date' or_ something _like that. Everyone knew he was her Knight in Shining Armor in the most_ literal _way possible._

 _"I know but she's really just a friend, despite what Hirokazu and some of the others tend to think. Besides, Kai likes her," Takato replied. "He wants to ask her out to the dance."_

 _"He doesn't even go to this—No, wait, he doesn't even go_ to _school!" Jenrya said. It's true, Kai was born and raised as a fisherman, he never took a class in his life! He can read, write, do math and all that, he's_ not _stupid in any sense he just lacks a formal education._

" _Trust me, that won't stop him from going if Juri says 'yes,'" Takato said. "What Kai wants, Kai gets. And no school official saying 'you need to be a_ student _here' is going to stop him. If anything, he'd just borrow my school ID and claim that's what he looked like_ before _the tan."_

 _Jenrya nodded with a laugh, following after Takato. The cafeteria was just down the hallway, they both brought their own lunches: Bread for Takato, manju for Jenrya. Unless Shiuchon stole it again and replaced it with random boxes of candy, he was in too much of a rush to remember to check: Ever since he, his father and Yamaki-san forbid her from helping against Demon and Apocalymon, Shiuchon had been getting revenge on Jenrya through pranks like that. She began with messing with Jenrya's screensaver by password protecting it with the scrolling words "Make Me A Tamer NOW – Shiu-chan :)" even_ if _she still has her partner – Jenrya got the password to his screen saver after returning the favor on_ her _computer, "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOO! - Your OLDER Brother, Jenrya Li."_

 _Shiuchon then moved on to making sure his bathwater is cold if he used the bath after her to replacing his lunch with candy, which Jenrya didn't really like, he wasn't a fan of sweets. And, once, sending_ Ruki Makino _a fake love letter from his email account. Ruki knew it was fake due to the spelling errors and the fact that Jen "wasn't stupid or suicidal enough" to call her Ruki-chan or "Snookums-chan." Ruki helped Jenrya's "revenge" that time, she had Ryou call Shiuchon to tell her that Ruki had just sucker punched Jenrya for "being a stupid love freak" and broke his nose, Shiuchon was beside herself with guilt until Jenrya came home and said that Ruki knew the letter was actually from her. Shiuchon was glad her brother was okay but  
_ not _amused by the prank, he was hoping she learned her lesson after that but Jenrya had a feeling he was being_ far _too optomistic._

 _That last prank, the love letter, he_ did _mention to his parents as well. Not because he_ liked _to snitch on his sister but because he absolutely DID NOT want to risk her doing the same to any of his_ male _friends...Hirokazu would have fallen for the prank, too, he just_ knew it _. As for Takato?_

 _Probably not but he_ never _wanted Takato to_ suspect _him as "like that,"_ _he hoped Takato wouldn't make such an assumption through the goggles he found. He knew they were a small risk but, honestly, Jenrya thought Takato would think of them more as a joke than a sign of any kind of romantic intent. And Jenrya really didn't have any romantic intent with his gift, if he hadn't found those goggles he wouldn't be giving anything to Takato. Guys don't give guys Saint Valentines gifts, after all, and Jenrya didn't have any chocolate to give him with the goggles. No, this would be like handing Takato a pair of those felt antler headpieces people wear around Christmas. Or Hirokazu's "mistletoe on a fishing pole" hat. Except more personalized and likely to be appreciated by said friend, unlike Kenta and the antlers Hirokazu forced him to wear to nearly_ every _Christmas party._

 _Takato and Jenrya made their way to the nearest empty table as other students lined up to buy their lunches. "What about you?" Takato asked. "No plans for Saint Valentine's?"_

 _"No, not me. Girls don't tend to ask me out," Jenrya said. This was true, Jenrya had never had girls really speak to him outside of his fellow Tamers and none have ever expressed any desire to go out. And it wasn't until he began to worry about how strong his feelings were for Takato that Jenrya_ ever _thought about dating and romance. And he knew acting on such thoughts was a horrible idea._

" _Why not? You're, well, um...Jen, you're_ you _, you know?" Jenrya noted a slight blush on Takato's cheeks, he didn't point it out but did wonder why his friend was suddenly blushing._

 _"Um, not really..." Jenrya scratched his head, pulling his lunch bag out of his backpack. Takato did the same, though Jenrya's manju felt much, much lighter than usual. And the fact it_ rattled _said even more. He hid his annoyance, realizing Shiuchon had stolen his lunch again. Takato was already setting out a piece of Guilmon bread._

" _Well, um, I just think, uh...This is a little weird to say, um, promise not to mind?"_

" _Of course," Jenrya nodded. "Takato-kun, I would_ never _make fun of you, you can speak your mind." He said, formally. It was a habit he picked up as of late, when Takato's nerves began to act up he would speak in a formal tone to his friend. Especially when Takato questioned whether or not he was worthy of being the leader of the Digimon Tamers. As much as Jenrya liked Takato, and_ exactly _"how much" he liked Takato was up for debate, he really wished that his friend would work on his self-esteem. For someone who saved the world once, Takato thought_ very _little of himself._

 _"I think, um, if...We-Well, speaking like, um, i-if I was a_ girl _, not...From my own point of view...I-I think girls would think you're, y'know, really cute or something like that." Takato said, blushing_ profusely _, much more than before, as he quickly added. "No-Not that I_ do _—Er...Or that you're_ not _but..."_

 _Jenrya laughed. "Re-Relax, Takato, I know what you meant." He didn't bother hiding_ that _smile, disguising it with his laugh. The smile that can only come from being called_ cute _by Takato Matsuda. "By the way, um, speaking of Saint Valentine's Day, um, I-I found these...Literally, I just_ found _them on the way to school and, well, I thought you'd like them."_

" _What?"_

 _"Well, first," Jenrya said as he looked in his lunch bag: Just as he suspected, Shiuchon switched out his manju with boxes of candy. Why candy? She was trying to "deprive him of precious nutrients" (her words, as much as he "loved" his little sister Jenrya always felt that Logic and Shiuchon had a very unique relationship). The entire bag consisted of strawberry and chocolate snack foods: Strawberry and chocolate pocky, strawberry and chocolate mushroom biscuits, strawberry hard candies, choco bits and last, but certainly not least, the one thing_ closest _to something Jenrya would like but, in that form, hated...Meiji milk chocolate bars, Jenrya_ hated _milk chocolate but liked_ dark _chocolate, naturally Shiuchon would taunt him with milk chocolate for just that reason. She may be a little girl but she had the makings of a super villain, something Jenrya wasn't sure if he should be terrified or proud of her for._

 _Still, perfect! Takato loved strawberry candy and he could toss in the chocolate anyway...Jenrya wasn't one for sweets, anyway (Green tea flavored candy notwithstanding, something not so suspiciously absent from Shiuchon's selection of random sweets), and he had money on him to buy lunch. Just before he passed the bag to Takato, he got an idea. With a sly grin that Takato faintly noticed, he said, "Actually, um...Look away_ just _for one second, please?" He laughed quietly, enjoying himself as he decided to have a little fun with Takato's gift. Takato heard said laughter, but hid so by keeping his expression in check and hiding a slight embarrassed blush from what he had said earlier, kicking himself mentally for even_ thinking _of saying something so weird to his_ male _friend. Still, Jenrya was being much,_ much _stranger than usual. That is to say_ at all _strange! Jenrya was probably the most "normal" person he'd ever met, especially for someone with their own Digimon._

 _"Huh? Okay," Takato did so, even going as far as covering his eyes as he kept his back to Jenrya._

 _Jenrya put the heart shaped goggles into his lunch bag, double checking that_ all _of the candy was stuff Takato liked. He then said, "Okay, turn around" after closing up the bag._

 _Takato did so, facing Jenrya holding his lunch bag to him with both hands. "Wha-What?"_

 _"Just...a gift for the holiday I thought you might like a little," Jenrya said, smiling. "I need to buy lunch, but feel free to open it while I'm gone. I...want to know what you think, okay?"_

 _Takato gave a slow and surprised nod. Jenrya was giving him a_ gift? _On Saint Valentine's day? Why? "Su-Sure. Thank you, Jen-kun." He took the bag with both hands, looking down at it in confusion as Jenrya stood up to buy lunch._

 _Carefully Takato opened the paper bag, what he saw left him in shock: A pair of red plastic goggles with_ heart shaped _lenses on top of a massive pile of_ chocolate _and strawberry candies._

 _Was this what he_ thought _it was? Jenrya was...?_ Him? _Takato suddenly felt better about what he had said before about what he would have thought "if he were a girl," as he was not exactly speaking from a "girl's" perspective. But, still,_ Jenrya? _Gay? And he gave_ Saint Valentine's candy _to him? He was being_ that _bold? Then again, Jenrya was by no means cowardly but this was_ beyond _just being casual about something like this! If this was what he thought it was then he would_ never again _question Jenrya's courage! To express his feelings so casually yet so boldly, Takato_ wished _he had just a fraction of that courage._

 _But, still, could this really be what it looked like? But why else would Jenrya give him candy and, of all things,_ heart _shaped goggles? Then again, he said it was just a gift he thought Takato would like. Is it possible he was simply reading too far into the gesture of a friend?_

 _This couldn't be what he thought it was!_

 _Could it?_

 _Takato couldn't believe it. With a smile, he took off his usual yellow goggles and put the new ones on, placing the old yellow goggles in the bag of candy. They were a little loose so he tightened them, finishing just as Jenrya returned with some food. Jenrya let out a happy laugh as he saw Takato wearing his new goggles, "You like them?"_

 _"Love 'em!" Takato said, smiling. "Thank you_ so much _, Jen-kun! I-I...I had no idea you were giving me...any kind of gift, I-I wish I had something for you...Um..." He reached into his own lunch bag, pulling out a loaf of Guilmon bread. He bowed his head formally, holding it forward with both hands. "Please, um, at least take this...I-I'll come up with something better, I promise but...Thank...Thank you, Jen!"_

 _"Hu-Huh? Do-Don't mention it, Takato-kun," Jenrya replied. "And...I-I can't take your lunch like that."_

 _"I-I can spare it, I always have leftovers. E-Especially with this candy...Trust me, it would go to waste otherwise. Please?"_

 _"All right," Jenrya gently took the bread with both hands. "Thank you."_

 _"I-I just wish...I had some_ choco _-pan, you know?" Takato laughed quietly. Jenrya was a little confused as to what he meant by that, Takato preferred custard-pan to choco-pan. Especially after his parents added_ strawberry _custard-pan to the menu it had been a staple of any dessert bread he brought with him to school or to Hypnos. Especially the latter, his parents sent care packages regularly when they had to stay at Hypnos "on call" when Wild One attacks spiked. Same for the others, a big bag of Matsuda Bakery bread from Takato's parents was_ always _looked forward to during those times. Even Yamaki-san got a little excited when he got his share of Guilmon bread from the Matsuda parents as they dropped off enough food to last their son and his friends a few days at least. "Tha-Thank you so much, Jen-kun. These goggles are_ great! _I-I love them." He somehow managed to hold back the blush as he said 'love' again, he couldn't help himself, not sure if he should or shouldn't hope Jenrya picked up on his excitement._

 _"Yo-You do? I-I mean...I wasn't really sure what you'd think of them but, well, I always think of you when I see goggles and they_ definitely _fit the, um, occasion, you know?"_

" _Ye-Yeah, the...The occasion," Takato nodded, smiling. "I-I'll keep them on 'til White Day, even." He said, much to Jenrya's surprise. White Day was in March, when guys gave girls chocolate in return for the chocolate the girls gave them on Saint Valentine's Day. And, of course, to girls they liked, just as girls did on Saint Valentine's Day._

" _Well, if you like them that much, that makes me happy!" Jenrya said with a nod. He thought Takato would just get a laugh from them and, maybe, wear them until the end of the holiday. He didn't expect such an excited response from his friend. But, still, he was very happy to see Takato so excited over a pair of goggles, they_ were _the symbol of Digimon Taming. Even Kai had adopted a pair of his own, his old swimming goggles from spear fishing, to mimic his cousin. He donned them permanently once he began his "Ichari Tamers Squad" to assist Takato and the other Tamers' Hypnos Squad. He was completely and brazenly_ ignoring _Yamaki's orders to stay out of things but, as Takato said of Kai, what Kai wants Kai gets._

 _Actually, ever since that scuba incident with those Hangyoumon, Jenrya was_ very _happy to have Kai on their side, the "Official" Digimon Tamers didn't have any real "underwater support" aside from MarineAngemon (whose Tamer was_ not _very compatible with water, Kenta had a tendency to sink rather than float to the point where Hirokazu kept water wings on hand for his friend whenever they went to the pool_ mostly _as a joke...provided Kenta stayed in the shallow end. Otherwise? There's a reason Hirokazu's "Kenta Swimming Survival Kit" also contained_ duct tape _) and, given what could have happened to Takato had Kai not been there, Jenrya was_ VERY _happy he formed a "Navy" of Tamers with aquatic Digimon (and one_ very _annoying flying bowling ball named Pi-kun: Jenrya had never appreciated what little sense of "tact" Terriermon_ had _until Pi-kun popped out of his brother's computer the same way Terriermon had)._

 _After Kai saved Takato, the_ moment _they returned to Hypnos Jenrya personally told Yamaki-san he_ refused _to go on any more "scuba missions" or let any of the others (_ Takato _especially, though he didn't say that outright, just using him as an example of the risk involved) do the same_ without _either Kenta or Kai and his friends there. It was a bit of a showdown between the two of them, the others were in the living quarters helping a_ very _shaken Takato recover, even Kai was allowed into the 'restricted area' to be with him. In the end, after some "heated discussion," (the muffled screaming of which could be heard as far as the Wild One monitoring room, as Jenrya learned by overhearing Megumi and Reika talking the next day) Yamaki-san had to begrudgingly agree with Jenrya: Given how serious the situation became for Takato, Kai's group of Tamers was "necessary" for any situation involving aquatic digimon._

 _That was the day they also learned: The new Wild Ones (which they later found out were corrupted by Demon to be more aggressive) were_ more _than willing to hurt and possibly even_ kill _people. Takato Matsuda_ almost _being the first victim of their deadly nature. They had grown more and more violent over time, attacks on people were growing so common that the break in attacks they were now safely in the middle of came with a sigh of relief for everyone involved. The close calls they had been having, especially for Takato, were_ too close _even for the more experienced Tamers._

 _Thankfully, the_ second _scuba mission, though Takato was just short of trembling the whole time, was a_ lot _smoother with Kai and Kenta there. Though, as Kenta_ did _have a tendency to sink, as said, Hirokazu had to join in as his support. Jenrya kept close to Takato at all times (and a close eye on Takato's oxygen gauge_ and _the lines connecting him to his air tank) along with Kai and Seadramon while Hirokazu and Kenta were topside on a speedboat with Reika, keeping in touch through radio. The mission ended successfully with no incidents like before. Jenrya was relieved, especially as the cruise ship the Octomon were attacking held Takato's parents...They were the reason Takato went as far as demanding to go on that mission. Initially, it would have just been Jenrya and Kai._

" _I really like them, I never even knew they_ made _goggles like this...Ha ha ha, I wonder if Cupid uses them for when two whales or dolphins need to find love or something," Takato joked. "Thanks, again, Jen-kun."_

" _Anytime, Takato-kun."_

 _Takato and Jenrya ate their lunches in silence, though Jenrya would occasionally catch Takato glancing his way now and then_. _And to be honest, Takato had not stopped smiling since he got his gift. Even when he'd try to look "casual" as Jenrya caught him looking at him._

 _Just as Jenrya started to eat his Guilmon bread he was hit with a sudden, shocking theory as to_ why _Takato was so happy about those goggles._

 _Once more, Jenrya glanced to his side, trying to be as_ subtle _as possible, using every year of Tai Chi he had to help focus and remain calm when into looking in Takato's direction without giving_ any _indication to Takato he was doing so._

 _Sure enough, Takato was facing him and smiling, resting his cheek in one hand, still wearing the heart shaped goggles. Jenrya used the same Tai Chi relaxation and meditation techniques he had learned over the years to hide his shock and, just as carefully, glanced forward again and ate his bread, thinking to himself in shock._

"Is Takato...? ...No, I'm getting the wrong idea here. They're _just_ goggles," _Jenrya thought to himself as he casually glaced to Takato in a more obvious way. Takato quickly and awkwardly looked back to his lunch. The smile on his face, though, was still in place. And just as obvious as before. As was the faintest of blushes on Takato's cheeks._

" _..._ Nah... _" Jenrya shook his head. "_ There's no possible way...Though, what he _did_ say about Juri..." _That really was surprising to hear, Jenrya had assumed Takato liked Juri. He had done so much for her since Leomon, Takato was the one who got Juri her position as the "Card Dealer" for the others. And even made one offer to her that Jenrya was completely shocked to hear about: The special card Shibumi-san made..._

 _...She turned down the offer in the end but, when he thought about it, Jenrya wasn't sure he could have made such an offer to_ anyone _...Something like that_ had _to be a sign he had strong feelings for her._

 _Then again, Takato was the sort of person who cared deeply for_ all _of his friends. It was why he was afraid to take his position as leader at first: One wrong decision and who knew what could happen to someone he cared about? Takato was afraid to put his friends in danger. He constantly relied on the others, often Jenrya, for advice and aid. And, often, if he was too afraid of the danger to his own friends, would volunteer himself until someone else talked him out of it. Takato had once said he never wanted to make his friends go on a mission he himself couldn't or would be unwilling to perform. And, above all, would do anything to ensure his friends' safety, he had told Jenrya many times before: If any of the others got hurt, he would never forgive himself._

 _Many times, Jenrya would give Takato credit for his ideas with the others, which Takato always told him made him feel guilty. Jenrya made sure Takato knew he didn't mind and wanted the others to see him for what Jenrya saw him as, a strong, smart and kind leader. Takato often doubted the "strong and smart" description but Jenrya_ always _argued that Takato had only one glaring flaw: Low self-esteem, which Takato would admit to without any argument. He had said, "I...just don't think I'm cut out to be in charge like this. It should be you, Jen-kun. Or Ruki or Ryou. Anyone but me...I have to decide who gets put in danger, Jen. I have to decide who would be best to_ handle _that danger. If...If I make_ one _wrong decision, if things_ ever _end in a disaster...I couldn't handle it. Especially if...someone else were...in my place that time..."_ Those _words hit Jenrya_ so _hard, knowing that 'his place' that Takato was referring to was with the Hangyoumon on_ that _day, the scariest day of either of their lives..._

 _...Those words also cemented Jenrya's belief that Takato_ was _meant to be their leader. And Jenrya promised himself, like how Takato cared for all of his friends' safety and well being, that it was Takato's first and only priority when on missions: Jenrya made his priority Takato Matsuda's safety, well-being and_ self-image _his priority, even above his own. He knew then he cared about Takato more than any other friend he had ever had and swore to do whatever it took to make Takato recognize his own value as a leader, as a friend to the others and to_ Jenrya Li. _Though, that third item on that list, was a value he thought best to keep to himself or, at least, not reveal the full extent of how much he valued his best friend. His first and truest friend._

 _Jenrya told Takato once, shortly after Takato confided to Jen the fears he has with his position among the Tamers, the fact he took the weight of his decisions so seriously was proof enough to Jenrya. If someone like Hirokazu were in his place, he wouldn't think twice about the negative consequences of his actions...Takato did and Jenrya told him that was one of his best qualities: His friends' safety was his first concern. Part of why Takato went on that second scuba mission, despite being terrified of going back into the ocean (and, worse, being_ underwater _) was because of the fact he didn't want Jenrya and Kai to be in that much danger alone. He fought everyone to go with them and, in the end, the mission was a success thanks to his help. Takato faced his demons and came out the victor._

 _With that in mind, though, does that mean all he did for Juri was something he would have done for any one of the the others if they had been in her place? That was hard to believe but at the same time Takato was that kind of person, someone who put his friends above all else and before himself. And that was one of the things that Jenrya admired about him so much..._

 _...Admired being a word_ close _to what he really felt._

 _Once more, Jenrya subtly looked to Takato. This time, he noticed Takato glancing back to him with a smile..._

 _...While eating_ chocolate _. Jenrya turned his head to face Takato without realizing it at first, Takato awkwardly looked away from Jenrya and to the bag Jenrya had given him. Quickly, Takato reached into the bag and held up a box of mixed strawberry and chocolate mushroom biscuits. "Care for some? I-I know you gave them to me, but, I-I thought it'd be rude not to offer, even though you said you...don't really like sweets," Takato said,_ still _smiling but blushing a little due to being caught staring by Jenrya._

 _"N-No, thanks," Jenrya replied, keeping calm. "They're all yours, Takato-kun. Like you said, I don't really like sweets."_

 _Takato nodded, saying, "Thanks for the candy, too...I-I especially like the strawberry with the chocolates."_ That _got Jenrya's attention: Why would Takato mention the strawberry candy that way? Jenrya knew as well as anyone else, Takato's favorite flavor for anything was strawberry. Though the bag was_ mostly _chocolate, if Jenrya had any say in the candy: He would have just made it all strawberry flavored._

" _Anytime, Takato-kun. I'm really glad you like everything," Jenrya said with a smile and a nod as he looked back to his food. Takato broke off a piece of a Meiji milk chocolate bar._

 _Suddenly, it hit him:_ "CHOCOLATE!" _His own brain practically_ screamed _to where he was almost afraid_ Takato _could_ hear _his thoughts!_ "Damn it, Shiu—Wa-Wait...What am I _thinking?_ Thank you, Shiuchon! I-I forgot...Saint Valentines! H-He...Takato, _you really_ thought I was giving you Saint Valentine's Day _chocolate_ and tossed in strawberry candy because I knew how much you like it? You think all this was an act of...?" _Jenrya's own brain wouldn't even let him think the next word to that sentence..._

Love _._

 _...Only because Jenrya had so much trouble believing that he could be_ that _lucky._

* * *

Izumi Masami

* * *

I've looked over it with Yoshie _dozens_ of times, ever since Koushirou was in the shower and this was left on his computer. We were absolutely _stunned_ the first time, about halfway through the second or third page when we realized exactly what it was.

I honestly thought it was a school paper, so I printed it. I glanced over it as it printed, Koushirou was still in the bathroom long after it had finished printing. I didn't recall Koushirou saying he had to write a short story for class so, since it lacked his real name or a date, I assumed it was just something he wrote for fun, the title alone got me interested: _Heart Shaped Goggles,_ that alone grabbed my attention when I looked down at the page coming out of Koushirou's printer. The story was unfinished, leaving off at the part with Genrya and Takato in the cafeteria. I only saw that it was unfinished, though, I didn't read anything, save for the title and very last paragraph, until later with Yoshie. I was so surprised to see my son had written a story, i guess I wanted to read it alongside my wife so we could _both_ be proud of just how _intelligent_ our son is. Really, he takes after his father so much...

...By which I mean, well, _not_ me. Though I am his father, just not biologically. Koushirou overheard us discuss it once, shortly before the whole "Digimon" thing. We were afraid it might upset him to know he was adopted. We told him the truth and he told us that he overheard us talk about it a few times in the past. We told him about his real parents, his adoption has never been an issue in the family. He's never once gotten mad and screamed "You're not my real parents" or any such thing. We know he'd _never_ do that, he told us shortly after he came home from his first "adventure" with his friends that, regardless of blood, he sees us as his parents as much as we see him as our son.

So, after he left I, well, I thought it would be fun if Yoshie and I took a look into our son's head. We had no idea he was a writer, I remember laughing to myself and saying to Yoshie as I held up the story. A math genius, a computer genius and now a _writer?_ As I said to my wife, _"Koushirou is just full of surprises, isn't he?"_

...I was... _certainly_ right about that. Well, not _exactly_ , but...We-Well...First, we read it together and realized it was, um, one of those "fan fictions" kids write about their favorite anime or manga, things like that. I had a friend who, back in the early 80s, wrote fan fiction in fan magazines, before the internet sites and all that, so I was aware of the concept. Especially, um, Koushirou's _particular_ genre of choice:

Shounen-ai.

The first reference that, um, Genrya liked Takato, we at first thought _maybe_ was from the show itself. We had overheard Daisuke shout _some_ sort of rant about Takato and another character being in love (we knew both were male due to parts of his rant about how "gay" they were), which in retrospect: If our assumption is true, we worry of how Daisuke will "take" to the news should Koushirou ever tell him. It was a subject Daisuke wasn't _thrilled_ about, we did overhear the words "Takato's so freakin' gay" a number of times.

But as we went further to where the fan fiction ended, it was obvious that Genrya and Takato were _not_ a couple on the show: Koushirou was writing a story in which they became a couple over a mistake at Saint Valentine's Day and, well, it _obviously_ wasn't written as a comedy: Genrya seemed to be in the midst of dealing with the realization that he was gay (which Koushirou captured _surprisingly_ well, though it makes sense considering that it may have been "based on experience," let's say) and the way the plot was headed, I think Takato was going to return Genrya's feelings.

We were surprised but more at the idea Koushirou appeared comfortable enough with his orientation to write these sorts of stories. That takes a lot of courage, even with the anonymity that comes with the internet. When we first discussed the possibility our son might be gay, Yoshie was _incredibly_ worried about how he might feel about his preference if it was, indeed, the situation. _"Masami, do...Have we ever said anything to him to, I guess, imply this wouldn't be a problem?"_

 _"We've told him, we love him no matter what."_

 _"I imagine a lot of gay teens hear that and...results still vary. I mean, specifically, have we_ ever _said 'Koushirou, we would accept you for who you are. Regardless of who you love' or anything like that."_

 _"I...can safely say that when I gave him the birds and the bees talk, I never covered_ that _particular topic. Or said anything like 'and if you're gay, we're happy as long as you're happy.'"_ I would have _definitely_ also added something like "But I have no idea _what_ to tell you regarding sex in that case so you have my permission to use the internet to find your answers, please don't abuse this privilege." Not that he _would_ , I am _amazed_ by how trustworthy our son is. He even explained the lock he put on his door when he was younger, it was so we wouldn't discover Tento-san at a time where, well, Koushirou said he felt it was best to keep him a secret. He didn't want to worry us with the whole "demon vampires trying to conquer the world" thing...

...I actually _thanked him_ for his concern on that front. I don't know _what_ I would have said if I found out my son was keeping a giant robotic beetle in his room.

 _"I can't think of anything that directly tells him that, to us, this is okay. I'm just...worried that he might be scared."_

 _"Yoshie-chan, Koushirou is_ amazingly _intelligent. I'm sure he'll figure it out somehow."  
_  
 _"Masami..."_

 _"...I know. This isn't something you just_ learn _. But Koushirou knows we love him, he tells us he loves us, his parents."_ Aside from first telling him he was adopted, Koushirou has never seen us as anything less than his parents. And we don't see him as anything less than our son.

His pen name, Genshirou Izuda, was obviously based on his own name mixed with Genrya and Takato's. He's apparently a fan of those two being paired together, I remembered a girl I knew in college who was a _huge_ Gundam slash fan so...I'm _somewhat_ versed in this topic, though this is still the first shounen-ai story I'd ever read.

The reason we weren't too surprised that he's apparently gay is because we had actually discussed this possibility a few times. I remember when Yoshie first brought it up last year, as Koushirou began middle school.

" _Masami, before you leave, can we talk? I...I don't want Koushirou to over hear us like...That one time."_ ...When he heard us talking about his adoption when he was younger. It explained so much but...I'm glad being honest with him worked out so well in the end, we were just afraid of how much it would upset him before, especially as he was so young at the time. The word "adoption" has never come up outside of some questions he's had about his birth parents. We were always happy to answer, he had a right to know, after all. And he's never used the fact he was adopted as a negative thing, he's never told us we weren't his "real" parents (quite the opposite, we were afraid we might have become "aunt" and "uncle" like we were "really" related to him, biologically) or things like that. There's never really any "drama" in the Izumi household, not unless Digimon are involved that is. And we really like Tentomon (or "Tento-san," as Yoshie calls him and I sometimes do, too), for a giant beetle he's a lot of fun to talk to!

We answered Koushirou's questions about his parents honestly after Vamdemon's first attack on the city years ago: His father was a professor of mathematics at Toudai, Koushirou is _exactly_ like him. His math grades prove it, too. Advanced placement in _two_ subjects and in the top five of his physics class. We were both so proud the day he told us his ranking in his classes and the fact the school put him in the advanced classes after his standardized test scores. Ever since primary school, Koushirou did _amazingly_ well on those. He was always tested more than a few grades higher than his current one, especially in math and reading comprehension. I was floored when he tested at a _ninth grade_ level for math in his fifth year of primary school, _tenth_ grade for reading! Koushirou just said, _"I did the best I could."_ Yoshie and I laughed at how _formal_ that answer was, I think we ended up embarrassing him by going on and on about how amazed we were: We knew our son was intelligent but until then we didn't have such definitive proof!

Yoshie and I considered ourselves lucky to have a son like him, he's so smart and well behaved. Not to mention he's helped save the world a few times, ha ha ha!

" _Oh? I-I take it's...It's not about his parents again, is it?"_

 _"No, just something I've been wondering about. Masami, um, you've had 'that talk' with Koushirou, haven't you?"_

 _"Of course, he's in middle school now and, well, he may not be on any sports teams to speak of but it wouldn't surprise me if he were popular with girls. Us 'nerds' are apparently attractive these days!"_

I wish that's how it was when _I_ was in school but...Well, it worked out best: Yoshie and I were both considered "nerds," it's how we ended up meeting.

 _"Well, that's the thing...Do you think, well, um..."_

Yoshie was so hesitant, I was worried she was going to tell me Koushirou might have made us _early grandparents_ or something! Why else would she talk about our son and _girls? "Do you think girls...would be 'popular' with him...?"_...Besides _that_ , I mean.

 _"Huh? What do you mean? O-Of course they would. What boy his age_ isn't _into..."_ The look on Yoshie's face suddenly made me remember _one type_ of 'boy his age' that wouldn't be into girls. It hit me suddenly, I just went quiet for a moment or two and said, _"Oh. Yo-You mean...You think he's...?"_

 _"We-Well, I don't have too much to support it but, well, he's such good friends with those other, um, Chosen Children they call themselves?"_

 _"Yes, I think so,"_ even _with_ all he's told us of that adventure and what's happened since, we're still a bit clueless about his role with Tentomon, but we do like Tentomon as I said: He's rather polite and quite interesting to have around the house. I never expected my son to adopt a giant talking beetle but...I'm happy to have one as a friend! And _anything_ other than the hyperactive seal the Kidos have to put up with (I remember Koushirou trying to explain how television works to it once, he gave up and just said "Tiny people...You're right. It's a box full of tiny people.") is _no problem_ for us! I do feel sorry for the Kidos, though, Jyou comes by when his partner is in "hyper mode," as they call it. For someone as mature and reserved as Jyou, ah, I would _not_ expect him to have a "partner" that acts like a small child on a constant sugar rush...

...I never knew a seal could _leap_ into the air so much, _especially_ when watching "the box of tiny people." Gomamon _loves_ that new Digimon anime they produced, enough to where I've seen him cheer on and hop up and down on our couch as he watched, he even mimics characters fighting or just...He gets _into_ his favorite show, I remember when he finished watching an episode here with Jyou, Koushirou and Tentomon, he looked them and shouted, "That was a _great_ episode! Didjya like it, too? Didjya? Didjya? Didjya? Didjya? Didjya? Didjya? _MARINEANGEMON WAS SO COOL!"_ Jyou and Koushirou were at a loss for words as he kept jumping up and down, listing all of his favorite parts ( _repeatedly!_ ). It even came up at dinner, Yoshie and I said we _don't_ watch anime and, well, Gomamon went on a long rant about how "really, super-duper amazing" Digimon Tamers is...

...Jyou apologized for his behavior but we told him: We actually _liked_ "watching the show" that is Gomamon. He jokingly said, _"That was nothing, if you want to see a_ real _show put on the new Gundam series."_ Ha ha, apparently Gomamon is addicted to Giant Robot anime, too. We told him he's allowed to bring Gomamon over whenever his family needs a break from him, we think he's funny to watch. Plus a nice, big bowl of popcorn helps put him to sleep afterward. And I won't lie: I _kinda_ like reliving my childhood by watching Gundam with a fan that's even _more_ dedicated to it than I was, I can't believe I talked about giant robots with a _seal_.

" _Well, that Hikari girl and, um, Sora, too. He's never really shown an interest in either. Or Mimi before she moved to America. I mean, I've asked him how close he was to them, in a subtle way of course, and each time he's just described them as, um, 'good friends.' If anything, I notice he's more excited when I tell him Taichi or Jyou are coming to visit than he is with Sora or Hikari."_

 _"...I see."_ Though I took no issue with this theory, it was still a lot to take in. I never really thought of this scenario before, I don't know if too many parents really do. Not without a _lot_ of, ah, "obvious evidence," let's say. Like if Koushirou did a lot of stereotypical mannerisms or just, um, I mean no offense to this but, um, "obvious behaviors and tendencies," let's say. Just the sort of "gay signs" you'd see in a comedy or something. I know, in the real world, it's not all rainbows and ABBA.

 _"This doesn't upset you, does it?"_

 _"Koushirou's my son, of course not. He is who he is, I know this isn't some conscious choice he made."_

 _"Thank you, I was just concerned as, well, you know he doesn't keep secrets any more but..."_

 _"I think this is a justifiable exception. You know how some so-called 'loving parents' would react to such a thing. Should we confront him? Let him know it's okay?"_

 _"Not yet, I mean...I'm only basing this on his friends. For all I know, maybe he just_ doesn't _like Sora or Hikari like that and hasn't found the right girl. I wouldn't care either way but...I don't want him to be upset if we're wrong."_

 _"You're right, we should either wait until he feels safe in telling us or we have undeniable proof. Either way, he has to know: We would_ never _take issue with his orientation, he's our son no matter what and...Ha ha ha, I guess...I guess, once we know for sure, I should ask him if there's anyone in the computer club he might like. How much, um, dating advice do you think I could apply to_ that _situation?"_

 _"Ha ha ha, Masami...I-I think, maybe, you should let_ me _handle dating advice this time. I_ think _I have a little more experience asking men out than you do."_

 _"And, exactly,_ how much _more experience, my dear...?"_

 _"A lady never tells."_

Ha ha ha, she loves to tease me.

So, when we found this story, "Heart Shaped Goggles," we read it while he was at school. It was the last day before break.

Yoshie was the one to say it once we got to the last printed page. _"Well, I-I think...I think we have that 'undeniable proof.' Is there any more?"_

 _"No, it...It leaves off...It leaves off here. I-I can't believe this."_

 _"Masami, why do you...Why do you look so upset? I thought you...I thought you said that you would support him, remember? You even tried to think of dating advice that would...apply to Koushirou."_

 _"I know, I know it's just that...I-I..."_

 _"...Masami..."_

 _"...I want to know how this ends! Is Genrya going to tell Takato how he feels or not?"_

 _"...You're joking, right?"_

 _"Yoshie, our son is a_ very _gifted writer, he knows how to get his readers hooked!"_ I was serious, too, I never, um, was _interested_ in this sort of thing before but Koushirou _does_ write a good romance! I wanted to know how Genrya would tell Takato how he felt since at that point it was obvious Takato liked him! And I was wondering what would happen to that Juri girl, too, since she's the one who lost the goggles Genrya found!

I, um, really hope he's added to this story since break started but I doubt it since he's been spending most of his time playing this online game called World of Chaos. I was afraid, someday, he'd get into those things. My co-workers' kids are _all_ obsessed and its affecting their schoolwork...

...If anything the fact Koushirou is such a dedicated player but _refuses_ to play the game until he's done with homework is something I'm _very_ proud of! I've tested him, just to see what he would say if I told him to play before his homework was finished. He said "No, thank you. I need to finish this first." So I made sure Yoshie knew that the game was something I supported Koushirou playing. He was a dedicated student before he was a dedicated player, as always!

And it is break, he should be allowed to play all he wants. In fact, um, that game, we think, might be an outlet for his orientation. Today, he left his door open a crack, we heard him talking to someone he knew in the game who ran a "guild" of some kind. I didn't recognize the voice but it sounded like someone his age. We didn't eavesdrop...

...Much...

We listened in as we passed by, Koushirou spoke to him _for hours_ about their orientation and such. I-I was...I was impressed, Koushirou sounded a little embarrassed at first but, after a while, gained a level of confidence. I wonder if, um, his avatar is...? Ma-Maybe, I mean, people tend to adopt different personas online, after all. Koushirou has complete anonymity, too, so he could, in theory, be free to "be himself," you know? Yoshie was a _little_ worried about him talking to a complete stranger but, I assured her, Koushirou knew what he was doing. And if he is "out" online, I support that as it does give him an outlet. I'm sure _anyone_ in his position would need someone to confide into and I understand why he wouldn't approach _us_ with this topic...He's allowed a few secrets, we did hide such a major one from him for so long.

Then again, I am _also_ fully aware of the cyber bullies who like easy targets. Actually, Koushirou's really smart about how he deals with the internet, never uses his real name or gives out personal information, I don't think he's ever even posted a picture of himself online or anything like that. Koushirou also told us he doesn't even bother with blog sites and such, he tried once and lost interest, saying, _"I think my life is a little too boring to write about online."_ We _did_ point out, _"Digimon and alternate worlds are_ boring?" He laughed, saying, _"Besides that, I mean. I doubt anyone would believe me if I spoke about that, anyway."_ I guess he had a point, though with this revelation of the fan fiction he writes perhaps he could _novelize_ his adventure...?

So we've never been worried about anything like cyber bullies or stalkers with him...If anything, I'm more worried he might hack the government or something instead, ha ha ha! He's _very_ gifted with computers, ever since we got him his laptop...

...Yes, _initially_ we had a porn blocker on it but...The damned thing was so _sensitive_ to everything! I thought Koushirou's complaints that it made the internet unusable at the time were a gross exaggeration but...I couldn't even access my work website or so much as a Doraemon or Hello Kitty fan site without it telling me I was _looking at porn!_ So I told Koushirou "I trust you not to look at naughty pictures, otherwise we burn this laptop" and uninstalled the stupid thing. And Koushirou was even honest enough to tell us about the time he _accidentally_ found a hentai site, saying, _"I did a search for an anime and found an inappropriate website by accident. I just wanted to be honest about it and apologize."_ That, to me, proved Koushirou could _definitely_ be trusted. It was back when he was nine, I think, I can't think of any nine year olds who would _admit_ to that or _apologize_ for viewing just the front page and hitting 'back,' which he said he did once he realized what the site _was_ , it was some hentai fan art site. I know those can 'pop up' from the most innocent of searches, the internet is a very strange and, sometimes, disturbing place. I found out just _how weird_ when someone at work told us he found out his cousin, ah, had some "very strange" interests. Things that took a _lot_ of prodding from our more gossip loving co-workers to get out of him...

...Let's just say the gossipers' expressions afterward told me they _really_ should have minded their own business. What made it even scarier to them was he _assured them_ it _wasn't_ pornographic. Or, more specifically, he didn't _see_ anything pornographic and hoped things _stayed_ that way.

Yoshie and I are finishing up dinner in the kitchen, I have the printed story next to my chair at the dining room table. Tentomon is watching television, though he always offers to help us with chores. It's just that, um, he's not exactly "designed" for helping around the house and Koushirou's attempt to teach him how to type cost him a keyboard. I _HAD_ to know how a computer keyboard with a _gaping hole_ straight through it wound up in the trash – Tentomon was very apologetic over the whole thing. We told him not to worry, though, there's computer parts lying all around this place, we could find even _better_ keyboard around the house without even trying. It was no big deal in the end to us, I was just worried Koushirou... _Vented_ some very serious frustrations on it: I've seen videos of kids doing that with monitors or video game controllers and the million and one Wii controllers escaping someone's hand and destroying a television videos. I am _so_ glad he didn't want one of those things, Koushirou's video game "console" of choice is and forever shall be his computer.

"Do you think this will go well?" Yoshie asks as she starts to grab plates, I set them out at the table as she finishes dinner.

"I think it should, as long as Koushirou knows he has nothing to be upset or ashamed about," I say "Think he added to the story?"

"If not, you can ask him to summarize the rest...Is it _normal_ for a father to be _interested_ in his son's shounen-ai fan fiction?"

"...It stopped at the _best part_ , though," I jokingly whine, even though I really do want to know how it ends. I can't help it, it gives me the excuse to add "talented writer" to the list of my son's accomplishments! Officially, that is.

"I shouldn't complain but at the same time..." Yoshie trails off. She sets out the final plate with food, calling, "Koushirou, dinner!"

This is it...

* * *

...Okay, that...That could have gone _a lot_ better.

Maybe it was a bad idea to just assume he was gay right away, um, he denied it. Quite a bit, saying just one fan fic doesn't make him gay but...We had this suspicion for a while and _finding this?_

It just seemed like such obvious confirmation. But, um, I never wrote fan fiction so for all I know, maybe shounen-ai isn't _just_ for girls and gay men...Maybe there _are_ a lot of straight fans. Or even if they are a small minority, Koushirou really is one of them.

Yoshie's been in tears since Koushirou went to his room. I can't blame him for being so upset. He didn't storm off or anything, more...Panicked and ran. Even Tentomon is upset.

"We...We upset him so much," Yoshie whispers, dabbing her eyes. "We just wanted him to know, no matter _what_..."

"I know, I know...Yoshie, it's a hard realization, if he _is_ gay maybe he is still dealing with it, you know? Or...we were wrong and..." ...When Koushirou _does_ speak to us again, we will _never_ live this down.

"I-I can't believe we did that to him—"

There's a sudden, _frantic_ set of knocks at the door. "I'll get it, just...Just calm down, I'll make you some tea after this."

I answer the door, opening it about halfway. Koushirou's friend Taichi is standing behind it. Panting. "Ah, Taichi-san...Um...Ri-Right now is—"

"Is Kou-kun, okay? H-He called me," Taichi says, quickly. "Mr. Izumi, is he okay?"

"Wha-What? He _called you?_ " I ask, I quickly remember that at dinner Tentomon asked if 'this was Taichi's secret, too.' Koushirou confirmed it while in his haste to deny our accusation, but...

.. _Taichi Yagami?_ I-I find that _so hard_ to believe! But, um, Koushirou _called him?_ Wh-Why? I-I mean, this isn't exactly someone I'd expect him to call among his friends, both the fact that this _Taichi_ _Yagami_ and...

...If he _really is_ gay, then...I-I actually _hope so_ , now, since...He could help Koushirou better than anyone else on Earth right now! Bu-But, still, um...He called his _gay friend_ for...advice? Is it so Taichi can explain to us that Koushirou's really straight? Tha-That's a _huge_ stretch, I mean, if it were _me_ I'd invite a _girl_ over _not_ a gay male friend! That just seems like _more_ damning evidence to me! Then again, look where my _previous_ assumptions on this topic got us, maybe for all I know this is undeniable proof _of_ heterosexuality!

I don't know _what_ to make of _anything_ at this point!

"Yeah, he...he said, um, something...Something happened. Can I...Can I see him, please?" Taichi must have run the entire way over, he's still catching his breath.

"Su-Sure, come in." I step aside. I still can't believe he called _Taichi_ over, especially someone he _knows_ is gay at a time like this... Is he hoping for advice? Or...? Are they...?

I-I know it's wrong to just assume after all that but it is _so strange_ that Taichi would just appear out of nowhere at a time like this, saying Koushirou called him. And the revelation at dinner from Koushirou doesn't really make this look any less, um, 'suspicious.' No-Not that...I don't exactly _believe_ Koushirou but, again, out of all his friends...Taichi?

Then again, out of all of the Chosen Children: Taichi has known Koushirou the longest. Maybe he's better at advice than I'm assuming.

Taichi steps inside and takes off his shoes, it takes him a minute. I motion for him to just wait to catch his breath before going any further, he does after about a minute. He steps into our living room, bowing his head. "Mrs. Izumi, Koushirou-kun called me. I-I'm here to help him out. What, um, happened exactly?"

"H-He's mad at us, I can't blame him for it, though," Yoshie whispers. "We...We confronted him about some...suspicions we had."

"We only wanted him to know he didn't have to hide anything from us," I say. "We _don't care_ about his orientation."

Taichi lets out a relieved sigh, saying, "Thank the Gods...No-Not that I'd expect any different from you, I mean, but..." I know, Taichi, I know. A lot of websites I've looked at now again since Yoshie's theory has told me that sort of horror stories parents can be a part of. It's wh _y_ we felt we had to make it clear to Koushirou is _wasn't_ any sort of issue for us! I-I even asked if he wrote more of his story! That had to tell him I was serious about accepting this!

That and, um, I hate cliffhangers.

"We-We know, Taichi, we know. It's...something even the most loving parents can take serious issue with," I say. "But, um...H-He mentioned...O-Or rather, um, Te-Tentomon mentioned...You, um, in a certain regard," I trail off, awkwardly. Should I even _mention_ this?

Taichi nods. "I'm gay, Mr. Izumi, if that's what you're talking about." Gods, he said that _so casually!_ Taichi Yagami? I'd expect him to adamantly _deny_ this or something! I'm not complaining but hearing this from Taichi himself is shocking!

"I-It was. Um, no offense, Taichi, it's just a bit of a shock. Does anyone else know?"

"My family and Kou-kun, no-one else," Taichi replies, I would _not_ expect someone like Taichi to be so open. "May I ask why tonight?"

"We heard him talking to someone online about, well, this Digimon pairings and just, um, their orientation in general. His door was open a crack, we overheard a little and decided to ask him tonight." I explain, Yoshie is too emotional to go into detail.

"I-I see, that was me, actually," Taichi says. _Really?_ "He, um, found out about me through World of Chaos, I didn't know the character was him until today, actually." He explains. "I-I'll talk to him, I-I think he, um, kind of needs..."

"...An expert opinion?" I ask.

"Ye-Yeah, no offense," Taichi says.

"None taken, you would know more than we would."

"Please, tell him we're _so_ sorry. We didn't mean to make him upset," Yoshie says. _"Please_ , Taichi."

"I-I will, I promise I'll do everything I can," Taichi says, politely. I don't often see him this formal. Not that Taichi's _rude_ or anything but, well, he's just not one for formality most of the time. He bows once more and goes to Koushirou's room.

I hope he can help, I feel _terrible_ about what we've done to Koushirou. Gay or straight, I don't care, I just want him to be happy and know we love him, regardless.

I'm sorry, Koushirou. I'm so sorry.

I got to Yoshie, sitting next to her at the couch, saying, "It's okay, everything will be okay...Just calm down, okay?"

"I-I hope...he's not mad at us."

"He's not, you know Koushirou," I say. "He was _scared_ , not mad. Okay? Taichi's here, he can certainly help, all right?"

"...I hope you're right." Me, too.

Taichi spent a lot of time talking to Koushirou before they came out of his room. Taichi helped explain this "Jenkato" thing (as well as the fact I had been mispronouncing _JEN_ rya's name: I didn't know it was Chinese, which meant it was pronounced a little differently) and that it was a shounen-ai couple that was popular with the show's fanbase that's hinted at in the show. And that straight male shounen-ai fans _do_ exist but...

...Koushirou did tell us that, in the end, he simply isn't sure. The topic of his orientation was not one he thought about, he simply assumed he liked girls but just wasn't interested in dating. And that's the answer we accept: He's not sure right now. He could be gay or straight, maybe even bi. But we told him, no matter what he's _still_ our son and we won't be upset with _any_ of those answers. Taichi also helped us see things from his own perspective, even managing a few jokes here and there to help calm everyone down. I was _relieved_ to hear Koushirou laugh at one of them after all that happened...We really thought this would have turned out better at dinner but, well, I guess if _my_ father flat out asked and assumed I was gay...

...Things wouldn't turn out any better, I think. Gay or straight, I probably would have handled things _worse_ than Koushirou did. Granted, the era I grew up in was _not_ as open minded as Koushirou's generation. Really, when Taichi explained how Digimon Tamers apparently plays Takato into a love triangle with a female _and_ male character I was really surprised. Anime in my time would usually include a gay character as a flaming crossdressing comic relief at _best_. And I know most of that is just stereotypes from our generation, especially given that _Taichi_ just told us he was gay.

Koushirou promised that he wasn't mad and apologized for running off like he did, we told him we understood completely. It was a really bad idea to drop things on him like that, though he told us it's what got him "seriously thinking" about things. Taichi stayed for a while, we even offered him some of the dinner we ended up reheating. I was glad he came over and helped, too, I told Taichi he was a great friend for being so willing to help Koushirou like he did. Taichi just smiled and said, _"I've known Kou-kun since kindergarten, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help him? Especially since I, ah, know a lot about this kinda thing."_ Ha ha, Taichi really isn't shy about his orientation. I made it clear he's welcome here _any_ time he wants to come over, especially since he'd be such a good source of help for Koushirou. Yoshie agreed while Koushirou thanked him once more.

Taichi had left a little while ago, Yoshie is in bed while Koushirou is spending some time online.

I probably shouldn't bring this up any more than we already have but...

... _I have to do this._ I'm sorry, Koushirou, I'm _so_ sorry but there are some things that _must_ be said.

I knock on Koushirou's door. "Koushirou?"

"Dad?"

"Um, sorry again about before," I say, awkwardly. Koushirou's room is dark, he's at his computer. "I-I just wanted to, um, ask you something real quick before, um, bed. A-And also tell you, um, not to be afraid of _anything_ with whatever conclusion you reach, all right?"

Koushirou nods. "I-I promise to tell you both...when I, um, know for sure." He says, awkwardly. This is _definitely_ an embarrassing topic for both of us. We really should have known better: Gay or straight, it is hard question to answer. And the fact he really hasn't considered this as a possibility for _himself_ until now, I guess...I feel like we just added unnecessary stress to his life all of a sudden. "What is it you wanted to ask?"

"Um, we-well, that...That story you wrote..." I trail off.

"O-oh, _that?_ Um, what about it?" Koushirou's face is a little red from me even _mentioning_ that thing but...

... _I have to know what happens!_

"Ha-Have you added anything beyond the part where Jenrya gives Takato the goggles? I-I...Um...Want to know what happens next."

...The look Koushirou is giving me right now tells me this is even more awkward than what I played out in my head a little while ago. Ah, I really hope this isn't dinner all over again. "A-Are you... _serious?"_

"A... _little bit?_ " I say, glancing away.

"Um...O-One...One second..." Koushirou faces his computer in, um, a bit of a zombie-like state and opens file. I hear the sound of his printer running...

... _YES!_

After about a minute, Koushirou hands me some printed pages. "Um, I-I started it at the...Cafeteria part?" I nod. "It goes on a _little_ from there."

"Thanks."

"...Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Can you promise to pretend this never happened?"

"...Just as long as you'll tell me when it's finished?"

There's a _long_ pause before Koushirou nods. "...Deal."

"This never happened." I say. "Good night, Koushirou."

"Go-Good night."

...I can't help it! I want to know what happens!

* * *

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Heart Shaped Goggles  
IV

 _Juri sighed, putting some books away in her locker. No sign of the goggles_ anywhere _and Hirokazu even ditched his first two periods for her to run to the park and look for them. She told him_ not _to but Hirokazu saw it as a valid excuse to miss a pair of tests he didn't study for. She should have known, Hirokazu once ducked into the ventilation system at Hypnos to avoid his tutor a while ago. He spent an hour playing a handheld video game until Yamaki-san told them: The ventilation system has_ thermal _sensors for situations involving people trying to get_ in _to Hypnos, Hirokazu was the first to use them to_ get out _._

 _Juri later heard Yamaki in his office grilling Kenta for details on "all of the Shiota boy's tricks" for getting out of schoolwork. If_ anyone _would be able to provide that information it would have been Kenta. And only a three hour long game of "Good Cop, Bad Cop" with Reika and Yamaki (respectively) would get that information out of him._

" _Hey, Juri!" Takato...Great._

 _Juri took a moment to prepare to look her normal, cheerful self. She turned to face Takato, "Taka—Go-Gog-_ GOGGLES?" _Her jaw plummeted as she stared at Takato's forehead: He was_ wearing _her lost goggles. "Takato, whe-where did...Where did you get those?"_

 _"Oh, these?" Takato put his hands to the goggles, smiling. "Um, Je-Jen-kun. He gave them to me at lunch."_

" _Jen?" Where could Jenrya_ find _a pair of goggles like that? And_ why _would he give them to_ Takato? _What was Jenrya_ thinking? _Giving Takato a Saint Valentine's Day gift? Especially the same as she wanted to give Takato?_

 _"Yeah, um, he gave them to me, um, as sort of a joke for the season and all. He-Heart shape and all," Takato says._

 _"Did he tell you...where he_ got _those...?"_

" _Um, he said he found them on the ground while walking to school," Takato says. "Are you okay?"_

 _Fi-Fine, just fine!" Juri said, forcing a vaguely casual smile. She couldn't_ believe it! _Jenrya found them and gave them to Takato_ as a joke? _Those weren't supposed to be a joke! They were supposed to be a Saint Valentine's Gift with some chocolates! Juri at least managed not to lose the chocolate, not that it really made her feel any better. Jenrya managed to turn her romantic gesture into a_ joke _gift!_

" _You sure?"_

 _"Ye-Yeah," Juri nodded. Well, if she can't give him the goggles, at the very least she had her chocolate. It is Saint Valentine's Day, it's_ appropriate _for a girl to give a boy chocolate after all. At least Jenrya wasn't crazy enough to do that, too. "O-One second," Juri turned and reached into her locker. She pulled out a pair of Meiji brand milk chocolate Saint Valentine's Bars with hearts on them. "Um, ha-happy Saint Valentine's Day." She said._

 _"O-Oh, thank you, Juri," Takato bowed his head, taking the chocolate. "I-I wasn't expecting this."_

 _"Oh, you know, it's the season and all," Juri smiled, this was_ not _the romantic moment she pictured, it was more awkward than anything. At least Takato didn't seem to pick up on that at least but even if he did it's not like her plans could get_ any _worse than they've turned out now. And the worst part of how badly they turned out is how_ much _Takato seems to really like those goggles, he's_ wearing them! _She didn't expect that, especially if they were_ from Jenrya Li! _Takato was just treating them like some sort of gag, like Hirokazu's yearly Christmas fishing pole and mistletoe cap or the bunny ears he forces Kenta to wear every Easter. Not the gesture of love she planned on._

" _Thanks again," Takato smiled, he set his backpack aside and opened it, pulling out a paper bag. "I love their Valentine's mixture, they make it extra sweet, you know? I'll save them for later." He opened the bag, it was tall and deep enough to_ easily _conceal the chocolate—What?_

 _Juri noticed it immediately, one of the bars of chocolate she had given Takato was_ stuck _upwards, like it was_ on _something else that was in there. Takato shifted the bag around a moment, the bar fell, but for a moment it looked like a grave: The grave marking_ all _of Juri's holiday plans._

" _What's...in there?" Juri asked._

" _O-Oh, some chocolate candies."_

" _Tha-That many? Um, popular with the ladies this year, are you...?" Juri trailed off._

" _Oh, no, you're the first girl to, um, give me chocolate." Takato said. Thank the Gods._

 _Juri subtly let out a relieved sigh. "So you brought your own candy just so Hirokazu will get off your back about not having a girlfriend? Sneak-y_ , _Takato-kun!"_ _That_ had _to be it, every year Hirokazu_ always _compared his candy to what the other guys got. And, aside from that one year Kenta_ somehow _got more than he did (Hirokazu was_ not _as amused as everyone else, and Kenta's "slip up" at the gate made Juri see the jealous tone Hirokazu used at the time in a whole new light), Takato's one of the few who got almost_ no _candy, which Juri was surprised by: What girl_ wouldn't _want one of_ the _Digimon Tamers? Let alone_ their leader! _And if not that, just the fact that Takato was so polite and kind to everyone, he was the sort of person who_ should _have been popular with girls. Juri had no idea why his Saint Valentine's chocolate was always in short supply. Ruki once 'theorized' that Takato was "the Japanese version of Charlie Brown," as an explanation. Which made Juri the little red haired girl, the description was fitting. And Charlie Brown_ did _have a crush on her even if he, apparently, didn't even know her name. That gave Juri_ one _advantage if Ruki's description of him was apt._

 _Actually, Takato had once said that most of the time people_ don't _believe him when he tells them about Dukemon, he needs Guilmon right next to him for them to believe he's even a Digimon Tamer! She guessed that was a_ good _thing in one sense, it meant Takato wasn't "easy to recognize" after the signal hijack D-Reaper pulled. She found out about that after she was rescued and Ruki went on a rant about she wished they_ had _"killed the," various enraged expletives "thing a thousand times over!"_

" _Oh, um, ac-actually...Promise, um, not to tell anyone?" What?_

 _"Su-Sure." The sudden bright red shade to Takato's cheeks gave her an ominous feeling, she had no idea why but was afraid that she was about to find out._

 _"Jenrya, um, gave me a ton of chocolate and strawberry candies with the goggles." Takato said, smiling. Takato was_ smiling _over the fact_ Jenrya _gave him candy. Why would he_ smile _over that? Why would_ Jenrya _give_ Takato _chocolates on_ SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY?

 _Juri wanted to scream. "Jen...gave you..._ candy? _" What was_ wrong _with Jenrya? Was_ he _in love with Takato or something? Or did he turn her gift into an even_ bigger _joke than she thought?_

 _Takato simply nodded. "Ye-Yeah, I was..._ so _surprised but, um...We-Well, I-I...I appreciate the, um, gesture..." Takato trailed off, glancing away with the same smile and a blush._

 _Juri couldn't help but wonder why Takato was_ blushing _of all things over goggles and candy from Jenrya. Jenrya obviously treated her gift like a gag—Wait..._

 _...The way he's smiling and avoiding eye contact, the blush, his sudden quiet tone. Those were Takato's tells, whenever a topic was embarrassing or personal for him. The kind of topic he'd make obvious and borderline pathetic (as Ruki put it) attempts at changing the topic from. Juri's mind suddenly put two and two together. And two plus two equals..._

 _Juri felt her world shatter that moment. The goggles she meant to give Takato ended up with Jenrya Li, who_ also _gave Takato_ chocolates _and his favorite:_ Strawberry _candy! How did she not think to include that too? Takato_ loved _strawberries, she couldn't even get his favorite_ candy _right this year!_

 _But, the biggest shock of all:_ Jenrya _._

Jenrya _was...? HIM? And given how not only_ unfazed _but almost...Almost_ giddy _Takato is over the goggles and the candy_ from Jenrya _._ Takato? _He's...?_

" _Ta-Takato, um, can I...Can I ask a personal question...?" Takato's tells_ still _apparent in his tone and mannerisms, especially as he turned his head_ away _from Juri to completely avoid eye contact or even see her expression, which was helpful as she wasn't sure how much longer she could control it. She wasn't even sure what her expression would become: Shock, anger towards Jenrya, embarrassment, sadness, bursting into tears, all of the above? She didn't know except that it took all of her willpower to keep poker face from changing into her own tell._

 _"Huh? O-Oh, um...Is it...Is it what I think it is?" Takato whispered, his blush getting deeper. "I-I shouldn't have...mentioned the candy, should I?" A tremendously loud, eardrum shattering_ NO _boomed and echoed through Juri's head._

" _Just wondering, um, a-are you...? I-I mean, Jenrya...Jenrya gave you chocolate and..._ those _..."_

 _"We-Well, um, to be honest...I-I, um, I like...I like both. But, um, I-I do...I do like Jen-kun a little." Takato whispered. "Ca-Can we keep this a secret though? Please? Especially from Kai-kun and my parents? And, um, Hirokazu, too, probably." Obviously, Takato had not asked either Hirokazu or Kenta of_ their _Saint Valentine's Day plans. Earlier, Juri had seen Kenta in the hallway: He turned a shade of red and ducked away as he saw her looking at him, which only confirmed her suspicions about him even more. Hirokazu, though, was the same as ever, Juri took that to mean Kenta didn't mention his 'slip up' to him yet. "I-I just want to, um, keep quiet about it until Jen and I are official...Do you think this...This might mean...?" He motioned to the goggles._

 _Juri forced a smile. "I-I'm sure it means he, at least,_ really _cares about you. And I won't tell Kai or your family, Takato. Don't worry." She simply planned to confront a certain Half-Chinese, Half-_ Goggle Thief _as soon as possible!_

" _Thanks, Juri. I-I don't think they'd mind too much but...I want to wait for now, you know?"_

" _I-I understand. Glad you enjoyed the goggles..." She trailed off. At least he_ would _have liked her gift._

 _Takato laughed, saying, "I-I told him I might keep them on until White Day." Takato said, Juri resisted the urge to scream. The bell rang. "Oh, time for class...See you later, Juri!" Takato jogged off._

 _Juri gave half of a wave as Takato went off..._

 _...Then slammed her locker shut with as much force as she could._ "Jen...!" _She growled. She knew he probably didn't know_ she _was the one who got those goggles for Takato but..._ Jenrya _was_ gay? _Him? H-He's_ Jenrya Li! _Girls are_ always _talking about him! He's got this "mysterious loner" quality to him they love, especially with being half-Chinese. It adds to his "mystery," according to the few girls she's talked to that like him. None have ever gone as far as asking him out, of course, he's the sort of boy they liked to "admire from a distance." Especially when he practiced Tai Chi after school in the track field. She remembered the day she found that out, girls were sitting in the stands, she asked one what sport was playing. The answer she got was,_ "That cute Chinese boy is practicing martial arts in the field! We always watch him, he's _so_ cute!" _Juri always took the fact he did that in such a public area to be a sign he_ liked _the attention!_

 _With a huff, Juri went to class, knowing_ exactly _where she'd find Jenrya!_

 _The last half of the school day went quickly for Juri, it was the first year of middle school for all of them. The return of their partners took a long time but when they got back, things were "normal" in the sense they were like the days before the Devas except for the major difference that their Digimon were known to their parents...And Juri didn't have a partner. She thought she could handle seeing the others with their partners back but, no matter what, she just kept thinking of Leomon again and again. She appreciated Impmon's near-sacrifice for her to bring Leomon back: Yamaki-san had come up with a method of extracting downloaded data from a Digimon but the effects on the Digimon were unknown..._

 _..Despite Impmon_ screaming _for Yamaki-san to continue, Juri begged him to stop. She didn't want Ai and Makoto to go through what she felt, losing her partner. Impmon, to this day, is still apologetic over what happened and had trouble facing Juri. He even offered himself as her partner, too, along with Ai and Makoto but...She appreciated the gesture knowing that, even if she said yes, she couldn't slash a card or help him evolve as his Tamer. Only Ai and Makoto could do that._

 _The others, of course, had their fun with their partners, like old times or, as D-Reaper caused a sudden evacuation upon its arrival, they had fun with their partners like they dreamed of when they came back. Hirokazu, as he always said he wanted to, would fly to school on Guardromon until Yamaki-san told him to be a_ little _more inconspicuous as a Tamer (_ Especially _when skywriting his name) and Kenta carried MarineAngemon around like a plush toy: Girls_ loved _the little guy while some guys often asked Kenta if he was...like Jenrya apparently_ is _, Kenta would either let MarineAngemon reveal himself or say he was "a gift from his girlfriend," a statement that Juri now knew was a_ complete _lie rather than a cover for his true origins._

 _Ruki and Ryou were back to their loner styles with Renamon and Cyberdramon, mostly. Ruki was still a member of the group and Ryou was one of the first to jump at Yamaki-san's organization of the "Official" Digimon Tamers: Ryou spent more time in the Digital World than Earth. Ruki preferred Earth, as it "lacked Ryou." But Ruki and Ryou were two of the biggest assets to The Digimon Tamers, especially in the war against Demon's invasion and corrupted Wild Ones. Apocalymon's power grabs were also thwarted mostly due to the rare sight of Sakuyamon and Justimon working together as one: When they had to, they did work almost in perfect sync. But during their "off time," Ruki enjoyed sitting in her garden with Renamon and her mother and grandmother, drinking tea, while Ryou was part of the "Digital World Exploration Task Force" at Hypnos, he would lead Hypnos scientists throughout the Digital World in an attempt to create a map of the place (which Yamaki had no idea would be harder than mapping the known universe, given the lack of "sensible physics" as he put it)._

 _Ai and Makoto were more active as Impmon's Tamers, they learned how to play the card game and were working to "train" him, though their idea of training was more like something out of Rocky than "proper" Digimon Taming. At least what Yamaki called "proper Digimon Taming," there really was no guidebook or anything. Kai's friends did similar things while Rinchei's partner more or less did whatever he and Rinchei wanted. Pi-kun was more of a "Digi-Buddy" than "Partner," according to Jenrya._

 _Jenrya, the thief, would fight to keep peace in his household as Shiuchon "borrowed" his partner for "playtime" with Lopmon: Despite knowing them both as sentient beings, Shiuchon thought the fact they could_ talk back _made playtime even MORE fun (especially when Terriermon cried just like a_ real _baby)_! _And the fact Rinchei_ somehow _managed to become a Tamer (he heard Jenrya's story about how he got Terriermon and bought copies of EVERY Digimon game he could and as Jen described, "Holed himself in his room for over a week and came out with a starting beard and a PicoDevimon of all things!") but showed little to no interest in_ being _a Digimon Tamer outside of being a "more adult" version of Shiuchon: He and his partner (Pi-kun, Rinchei's nickname for his partner. Similar to how Kai called his partner "Seadramon" regardless of his form) just goofed off together or played video games. They were not helping the balance of peace and chaos at the Li household in any way. Especially once Pi-kun learned how to order pizza on his own but_ not _understanding the concept of_ paying _for pizza. According to Jenrya, Rinchei had said he didn't mind as he he had fun feeding Pi-kun what was described as "twice his volume" in pizza, something that fascinated and mystified Rinchei to no end._

 _Though Rinchei_ did _join Kai's "no rules" Ichari Tamers claiming Pi-kun was their "Air Force" or, given the syringes he throws with his PicoDart attack: "_ Medic, _" which was more of a joke from Kai. He has been a little bit of a help with missions, he keeps tabs on Jenrya and, especially, Shiuchon. His support is_ minimal _, however, despite having been with him for almost a year, Pi-kun has yet to evolve and Rinchei didn't even_ know _the card game existed until about six months ago (Jenrya's attempts to teach him the game were met with great frustration). But, weirdly enough, Pi-kun was the only_ employed _partner digimon: He was the "living mascot" of the store Rinchei worked at, "Hades Anime & Games," so he was _very _fitting for a mascot and always drew a big crowd. Juri remembered the day she met him at the mall, he flew around the food court dropping off cards advertising a sale,_ mostly _giving them to pretty girls. In fact, visiting his store was how Juri found the goggles: They were in the novelty store across from Hades Anime & Games. She had to make sure Pi-kun didn't follow her in, actually, as Rinchei or Jenrya (or any of the others Pi-kun and Rinchei ran into) would have known..._

 _...Then again, if Jenrya knew the goggles_ were _Juri's gift to Takato, he would have just returned them to_ her _instead of giving them to Takato like he did._

 _Then there was Takato, who did something Juri never expected...When Takato first got Guilmon back, the two played around with kids from school like the old days. Or with the Tamers and their Digimon, especially a_ certain thief _. When Yamaki-san formed the new Digimon Tamers, Takato was made the leader of their Earth task force and, whenever present, Digital World Task Force (otherwise, Ryou was the one "in charge," though he'd often contact Takato through Yamaki-san's tablet for advice). But before that, he was the only one to offer Juri a "partner," besides Impmon's personal offer, both retrieving Leomon's data and to_ be _her partner...Juri will never forget how he approached her with his D-Arc._

"Juri, um, hi."

"Takato? What's this?"

"Takato wants to offer you something!" _Guilmon seemed as happy as ever._

"An offer...?"

"Me!"

"Gu-Guilmon! Wha-What he means is...If you want, I-I can give you my D-Arc and Guilmon. Shibumi-san knows how to transfer 'ownership' with this card...He created it at my request and...Juri, if you want him, please, just...slash the card." _Takato then held up a white card in one hand as he spoke, he passed it to Juri but she could never dream of taking it in a million years._ "It...It would work, but only on you and Guilmon...Not like what Ai and Makoto offered. Since Guilmon is 'unique' by being an original Digimon...I-It's possible because of that."

"Takato, yo-you created Guilmon, though. He's _your_ partner. I-I..."

"I know, just...Promise I can visit, okay?"

"...No. Thank you, Takato, thank you so much but...I couldn't."

"We-Well, um, just in case...Please, hold onto it. If anything should, um, ever happen to me—N-Not that it _will_ , but...Just saying, if it does: You can be Guilmon's new Tamer, okay?" _Afterwards, Juri became the "card dealer" for Hypnos instead at Takato's request, finding out that_ that _was what Takato meant by "if anything should happen" to him: She didn't know Yamaki-san had formed a group of Digimon Tamers that would keep the peace on Earth and in The Digital World. And the job proved to be_ much _more dangerous than any of them ever expected, even compared to their old adventure._

 _Juri kept that card ever since, The White Card. She had never thought of using it but there was an incident where she almost had to fulfill Takato's request, if not for Kai...Everyone was upset that day, it was a bunch of Hangyoumon that were wreaking havoc underwater near a resort. Jenrya and Takato went to fight them in scuba gear (Their Digimon not needing any sort of assistance, they could stay under_ much _longer than any human ever could) but, just as the battle started..._

 _...The Hangyoumon cut their air hoses. Jen and Takato didn't see them coming at all, two snuck up behind them and used their harpoons to cut the air line to their tanks. Jenrya surfaced but two Hangyoumon grabbed Takato and held him under. Jenrya was frantic, he couldn't help Terriermon or Takato_ at all _, there was no way he could have saved him, Takato was too deep for him to dive for. Kai showed up on his Seadramon just then and saved Takato, diving under with Seadramon: The two rescued him with minimal effort, especially as Kai was equipped with a fishing spear, he had actually planned to go spear fishing like he used to in Okinawa as an uminchu. Takato, thankfully, was fine in the end...Physically. Jenrya told the others he had to hold onto Takato and guide his hand to even slash a card. When he got back to Hypnos, he was in his dorm..._

 _...Shaking and just short of crying. Kai was among the others, he was doing his best to console Takato. The only thing that really kept Takato from breaking down and crying was the state of shock he was in. That was far too close of a call. Juri saw when Takato arrived, he was walked past her, still in his blue wet suit along with Jenrya but with a blanket draped over him, his expression was blank and he was shaking. Jenrya and Kai were walking him to the dorm he and Jenrya shared. Kai briefly her what happened as they walked by,_ "Some diver Digimon cut his air line and...held him under...H-he's okay but needs some time to rest." _Juri felt everything stop as Kai and Jenrya walked past her with Takato._

"If anything should ever happen to me," _those words echoed in her head before she felt her legs go weak. She fell into a nearby chair in the hall, numb. Once she recovered, she ran to Takato's dorm, passing Jenrya as he stormed towards Yamaki's office._

 _Juri remembered being among the others by Takato's bed while they heard Jenrya screaming at Yamaki over how that mission was_ too _dangerous, even by their current standards. And that he should let up on Kai's involvement. Jenrya didn't know this but...Juri did the same a little later, she_ refused _to lose Takato the same way she'd lost everyone else she loved. Yamaki-san was actually intimidated by how angry she was at what could have happened to Takato. Juri spent the next day with him in the living quarters at Hypnos, he was given a few days off to recuperate with Jenrya. She brought him bread from the bakery and everything, Takato looked and felt much better by then. Kai was still allowed to stay with him, too. Rinchei also visited, but not because he was given access: He had Pi-kun steal a keycard off a security guard. If Pi-kin had one talent it was Grand Theft_ Anything _. One could guess how "amused" Yamaki was when he found out but didn't voice it: The look on Rinchei's face said it all, but Jenrya's frown towards him as he so much as began to open his mouth said a million times more, he simply went quiet and let Rinchei walk by with Jenrya. Rinchei wanted to check on Takato personally after he heard the news. Juri heard them talking in the hall, Rinchei knew that Takato was Jenrya's best friend but also something Juri had not known until then: Jenrya's_ first _friend, Juri didn't know but Jenrya had once been a loner like Juri. That changed after he met Takato, he was apparently enough of a loner to where even Rinchei was incredibly worried about Takato like the others:_ "Bro, don't worry. He's safe now and you said so yourself, you'll _never_ let something like this happen again. I know you, especially when you got that look on your face. You had that, ah, 'not even the Gods themselves could stop me' look when you said it."

 _Suddenly, Juri saw those words in a new light along with the significance of Jenrya's friendship with Takato. If Jenrya really did have feelings for him, was it because of this fact? Takato is the first person Jenrya had ever been so close to? She didn't know for sure but it would make sense. Jenrya was always a bit "distant" at first when she first met him, he only seemed to want to be around Takato for the longest time until The Digital World. That was when he slowly grew more open with the other Tamers, even Juri._

 _Jenrya and Yamaki never quite got along at times and that incident cemented that fact. Everyone was worried about Takato over the next few weeks, even Ruki. The day they went to the beach a couple weeks after, Juri noticed Takato didn't come with ten feet of the ocean. Kai, of course, caught some fish and they cooked them up on the beach but Takato stayed in the sand at all times. Juri and Jenrya didn't go in the water, either, they both spent time with Takato. Juri tried to get him to open up about how he was feeling while Jenrya just stayed by him and kept his mind off all that was happening, no mention of Wild Ones or even water, he just talked about things like games or shared funny stories about Terriermon, Lopmon and Pi-kun with Takato while he shared funny stories about Guilmon. It was as if Jenrya only existed to make Takato_ happy _that day._

 _Takato calmed down quite a bit by the time Kai started cooking dinner but..._

 _...It was obvious to everyone Takato wasn't quite himself. His fear of water ended when Yamaki-san received a report of Octomon attacking a cruise ship that had just set sail: His parents were on it. Takato overcame his fear and came along with Jenrya, Kai and the others, this time with safer equipment (threaded_ steel _air hoses, for one, and a unanimous demand that Kai be present from everyone the very second Yamaki-san said "Octomon") and back up on the surface that included Reika, Hirokazu and Kenta (MarineAngemon followed Kai, Jenrya and Takato underwater)._

 _Takato got better after that but when Juri knew she couldn't talk him out of the mission, she gathered up whatever cards she thought could be of use to him..._

 _...Cards that might save him if things repeated. Takato said he_ had _to go, regardless of what anyone else said, because his parents were the ones in danger. They were on a week long cruise for their anniversary, Kai and Takato were to watch the bakery in their absence._

 _The mission, thankfully, was a complete success. Jenrya told the others in private later that he kept a closer eye on Takato than he did himself. And Kai was there with scuba gear as well, the Okinawan uminchu was in his natural element and an asset to that mission. It was one of the rare times Kai volunteered and Yamaki said "okay" without so much as a single word against his involvement._

 _Juri did wish she was alone with Takato at some point while he and Jenrya were resting at their quarters at Hypnos after the incident. She came_ that close _to finally telling Takato how she felt just because of how afraid she was that they would have lost Takato. But he was never alone and, even then, Takato...He always seemed oblivious to her feelings for him, even Ruki's made snide comments to her. Telling her to "just tell the guy already" or, what hurts_ so much _now,_ _"just tell him, if he actually turns you down then it's obvious women ain't his thing anyway!"_

 _Takato had said_ both _are "his thing" but that didn't make Juri feel any better. The closest she came to confessing was at the bakery, when she and Takato were alone in his (and now Kai's) bedroom...But Kai showed up at the last minute through his unusual choice of entrance: Takato's balcony, he jumps the dumpster below, which, unlike most dumpsters, is_ not _a disgusting, smelly hunk of metal: Hirokazu says "the thing smells great 'cause of all the bread" and even admits to "dumpster diving" for the big, black trash bags of unsold bread when he's broke and needs a "Matsuda bread fix." Takato tells him he would feel_ much _better if Hirokazu just asked for free bread...Everyone did, Kenta in particular for some reason – Actually, looking back on Kenta's reaction, Juri realized he was wiping_ his lips _with his shirt sleeve the moment Hirokazu revealed this fact._

 _But Kai usually climbed up into Takato's room, leaving his shoes outside for jumping down later. Juri was_ just _about to start her confession but she and Takato heard him jumping up from the dumpster and watched him climb inside shouting, "Hey, cousin! Hey, Juri-chan!"_

 _The fact it always bothered Takato that Kai called her_ Juri-chan _was something that made her suspect Takato might like her...Instead, now? Juri wonders if it was just Takato trying to get his cousin to be_ polite _. Kai was about the same as Hirokazu when it came to "formality:" Mortal enemies._

 _Kai came to Shinjuku a little after he got Seadramon for a partner, he wanted to help Takato. He lives at the bakery, his Seadramon being able to devolve into Betamon when needed and evolve again with a couple loaves of bread or some other large meal, though it spent_ most _of its time at champion level on the Matsuda's roof. The Digimon was, roughly, ten feet long with an ice-based attack. An attack Takato has, many times, caught Kai using to make shaved ice or chips of ice for cold tea with. The group is mixed on how sanitary it is: The ice_ does _shoot from its mouth but as some sort of energy beam_ just outside _of its mouth_ before _forming into the ice Kai tends to break it up with a hammer before he puts in his drinks or puts through his personal, hand-cranked ice shaver and covers the results in sugary, flavored syrup...Takato was on the "gross" side of things._

 _Kai, being a little less knowledgeable than even Juri first was about Digimon, calls his partner "Seadramon" in both forms, even though he was well aware they had different names. Juri liked Kai, though, he was like a cross between Takato and Hirokazu: The kindness of Takato with the impulsiveness and manners of Hirokazu (And similar "knowledge" of Digimon to Rinchei, but nowhere near as "annoying" to people like Jenrya). Kai was_ always _doing his own thing, especially since he'd use Seadramon to fish at the beach or something like that. Kai was still not a registered student in_ any _school, same as back home, if he wasn't helping out in the bakery, he was being a fisherman with Seadramon and his, limited, "flying" ability. Kai called it "air swimming" as he wasn't very fast or could gain much altitude, it really was more like swimming in the air than "flying" like MarineAngemon, Guardromon or Pi-kun – But in the water, Seadramon was incredibly fast. During the Hangyoumon incident, Kai said Seadramon dove the (roughly) fifty feet under to reach Takato in about five seconds: "Jenrya screamed 'THEY'RE HOLDING TAKATO UNDER! NO AIR!' So, I took a deep breath and we went down to get him." As Kai told his part of the story._

 _When more kids started getting Digimon again, he formed up a group of other Tamers (calling them the "Ichari" Tamers, after the word "Icharibachode," which in Okinawan meant "when we meet, we're family") to "tag along" despite Yamaki's annoyance. They were Tamers who weren't affiliated with Hypnos or didn't_ want _to work with Hypnos. Rinchei being said Tamer, Jenrya got him the offer but knew his brother and "rules" well enough to know he'd probably turn down a position._

 _Juri didn't know most of them, but there was a boy with a Submarimon and a two twin sisters with Ganimon and Gizamon, another fisherman he knew in Okinawa that moved to Tokyo (Mondo Hanazawa – He was Kai's self proclaimed "tactician," Jenrya didn't like his arrogance as he often carried a feather fan as a "symbol of his intelligence," Jenrya often replaced the word intelligence with "ego." As did Ruki, Hirokazu and Kenta at times) with a Kamemon. And the newest, Rinchei with Pi-kun. Rinchei was, by far, the oldest member in age but still considered Kai the leader along with the others. She remembered how Kai extended an invitation for her to join, Takato had told him what happened to her partner. She turned it down, saying that she couldn't be of any use..._

 _...Kai said,_ "Everyone has their uses, Juri-chan. You'll find one, I know it! And you'll be a huge help!" _It was shortly after that she got Takato's offer to join as the Hypnos Card Dealer. She apologized to Kai for joining Hypnos instead, as Yamaki-san was much more highly critical of him and his friends at the time. Kai just said,_ "No sweat, I'm glad you're helping my cousin!"

 _Kai really was nice, she had to admit that._

 _As the final bell rang, Juri went_ straight _to where she knew where Jen was: The library. Takato usually went straight home or to Hypnos labs after school, though he might make an exception today. Juri hoped he didn't, she_ had _to talk to Jenrya._

 _Sure enough, Jenrya was reading a book as she got there. "Jen!"_ _In a 'whisper' that was much louder than she intended. She couldn't hold it back, she_ wanted _answers!_

" _Juri? Are you...okay?"_

 _"Come outside,_ please _. We_ have _to talk!"_

" _Is every—"_

"Now!" _Both the tone and volume of that word told Jenrya: Juri was upset about something and whatever it was it could_ not _wait another second._

 _"Okay, okay," Jenrya put his book in his backpack and followed Juri into the hall. They went to a secluded corner, just outside of the school club rooms. It was a 'lounge' sort of spot with some fabric covered cube shaped benches on either side of the square shaped indent in the hallway between the library and the club rooms. "Juri, what's—"_

 _"Where did you find them?"_

 _"Find what?"_

" _The goggles you gave Takato! I-I saw them! I...Jen, I-I...I...!" Juri stammered incoherently, fighting back both the urge to scream at Jenrya and the urge to cry at the same time._

 _This wasn't fair. This was_ her _chance with Takato! Not Jenrya's!_

 _"Wha-What? I-I found them on a bench at the park...No-one was around so I...I thought Takato would like them—"_

 _"And the_ chocolate _, Jen? A-At Saint Valentine's Day? You...You gave him...chocolate..." Juri whispered. "And strawberry candy, too...H-He...He liked it so much, too. And the goggles."_

 _"The candy? Shiuchon is_ constantly _replacing my lunch with candy ever since I told her she wasn't allowed to join us on missions for Hypnos. It had a ton of strawberry candy in it, I decided to give it to Takato along with the goggles. Wha-What's going on?" Jenrya seemed genuinely confused, Juri could tell he wasn't feigning it. Does that mean he_ doesn't _like Takato that way? It was just a misunderstanding on Takato's side?_

 _Even if it was, though, she knew who Takato's heart belonged to. If Jenrya didn't accept it, she didn't know if she'd be more upset or not over that. Jenrya isn't the type to play with Takato's emotions like that: If he really wasn't acting the way Takato had hoped then it meant it was just some innocent gesture Takato took the wrong way._

 _"You mean...You didn't_ mean _to give him...?"_

 _"N-No, but...He really liked it, I-I know that."_

" _Yeah, he_ really _liked it," Juri sighed._

" _Juri, what's wrong?"_

 _"I-I bought those goggles, Jen, I was going to give them to Takato today...With candy. I-I planned to..." She let out a groan, feeling tears in her eyes. She tried to say it but the word 'confess' couldn't escape her lips. She let out a frustrated sigh and went on, "bu-but, instead, Takato came up to me after lunch and...He had them on, he told me_ you _gave them to him. I gave him the two chocolate bars I wanted to give him and_ you _gave him_ so much _more! H-He told me how...How..." Juri wiped her eyes._

" _Juri, I'm sorry, I swear, if I knew those were from you I'd have given them back. I really would—"_

 _"Do you like him? A-Answer that much, at least, Jen! Do...Do you_ like _Takato?" She had to know that much, above all else at that moment: She_ had _to know, did Jenrya's heart belong to Takato as well? Did she really have no hope of winning it? Was Takato in for the biggest disappointment of his life or one of the happiest? She was so conflicted on the matter, she didn't care if it put Jenrya on the spot. She wanted an answer and would stop at nothing to get it from Jenrya._

 _"M-Me? Li-Like..?" Jenrya stepped backwards, his heart suddenly pounding as Juri stared him down. He learned from rumors that she_ also _tore into Yamaki for the Hangyoumon incident that Juri is actually just as scary as Ruki when she's angry. He learned it through overhearing some lab techs talk about "the boss being afraid of the card dealer when she's mad," he also learned in his first week there that Hypnos' lab techs were_ fueled _by gossip: An incident involving Yamaki-san, a baseball bat, Culumon and various broken water coolers being one of the most popular "boss stories" among the staff._

 _But the_ last thing _he wanted was to tell her the truth..._

 _...Yes, as he'd been thinking while in class and the library since lunch: He probably was in love with Takato. It was more than just "like," Takato was the person Jenrya considered to be his first friend, his first_ true _friend and his first true_ best _friend all in one. Jenrya had never been so close to anyone as he was to Takato. And, shortly after Terriermon came back, Jenrya realized he had feelings for Takato that were so much stronger than friendship. Something that scared him so much at first to realize, something that he_ had _to keep hidden at all costs especially after his brother became a Tamer as well: Compared to Pi-kun, Terriermon was like Renamon or Lopmon when it came to maturity and tact. Pi-kun was already the "gossip" among the Li Digimon after being caught reading Jaarin's diary or trying to steal Jenrya's own wallet because an ice cream truck was nearby. If Pi-kun found out by his usual routine of hiding in someone's room and spying on them (as Jenrya found out when he left his room, closing his door and then returning to find Pi-kun reading his email...Or Jaarin as she wrote in said diary as he hovered over her shoulder until she caught a glimpse of him in the mirror over her dresser) or some other way,_ everyone _in Tokyo would know by sunset. He didn't dare look up any websites on the topic just for_ that _reason. Not at home and certainly_ never _at school, he had been alone in his realizations. Something that took a lot of self-examination and conclusions he could barely admit to himself for the longest time. Things he could_ never _confide in to anyone else, especially Takato. His biggest fear in his feelings for Takato were that Takato would disapprove of them in the worst way possible, his best friend would end up hating Jenrya for someone he swore he had no control over._

 _Juri only grew more impatient and more emotional as Jenrya remained silent. He saw the tears welling in her eyes. Her voice cracked as she asked again,"Je-Jen...B-Be honest! A-Are you...? Are you_ gay?" _The word gay...was_ piercing _to Jenrya. He almost lost his balance as if the word itself_ stabbed him _._

 _"M-Me? N-No! I-I...Of course not! I'm no—"_

 _"PLEASE! Even if you didn't mean to, you_ still _gave Takato those goggles and that chocolate. H-He's...He's_ so happy _right now, Jenrya. Do you like him? A-Are you..._ attracted _to him?"_

" _Juri,_ please _, do-don't ask this! N-Not this, I-I..." The normally calm and collected Jenrya Li was in a complete panic. Juri had managed to back him into a corner. "Juri—"_

 _"PLEASE!" Juri once again shouted, wiping her eyes. "Just...Just tell me..I-I won't tell anyone, okay? I just_ need _to know if...If...Jenrya, if you tell me the truth...I'll tell you something you'll like hearing." Something he'd like hearing? What could she mean?_

 _Either way, it was obvious Juri wasn't going to let this go. And Jenrya knew that any "no" he said would have been a painfully obvious lie._

 _Jenrya took a deep breath, and said, simply, "Yes."_

 _"I-I thought so..." Juri sighed, she sat at one the cube-shaped benches. "I-I thought...that would be the case."_

 _Jenrya relaxed a little, he sat at the bench next to Juri. "Wha-What happened? You...saw Takato?"_

 _"Yeah, I-I at least gave him the chocolate I planned to give him. When I saw how much he had in that bag, I-I couldn't believe it. I thought he either wa_ s insanely _popular this year or brought it from home to get Hirokazu to leave him alone...Not that it was_ from you _."_

" _Like I said, Shiuchon's been replacing my lunches with candy I don't like. I-I wasn't thinking when I gave it to him with the goggles, I just knew he'd like the strawberry candies and, maybe, the chocolate. I-I didn't realize he...Wa-Wait, Juri, are you saying...?" Confirmation that Takato felt the same?_

 _"Takato, um, he told me that he 'likes both,' Jen. He also...likes_ you _," Juri sighed. "I-I thought...I thought we..."_

 _"I'm sorry, Juri, I-I swear...I had no idea those goggles were your gift to him. I-I can tell him that, okay? I'll tell him they were yours and I found them, along—"_

 _"No, don't...Don't, Jen. H-He_ really _likes that gift, I don't want to ruin it for him, make it any less special. Just...Be happy with him, okay? I-I'll be okay, Jen. I'm sorry I got so angry earlier, I just woke up today thinking_ this _would be the day I finally confessed to Takato. E-Ever since...Ever since Kai saved him, I've wanted to confess. Just...Just in case."_

 _"That was a scary day for everyone," Jenrya sighed. "I-I felt so helpless, there was no way I could get to him and I dropped my D-Arc. I couldn't even slash a card for Terriermon to help...If Kai didn't show up..." Kai dove with Seadramon, his fishing spear in hand. He used it to fend off two Hangyoumon while Seadramon held off the rest with Guilmon and Terriermon. Kai wasted no time to get Takato to the surface_ barely _in time. Jenrya had no idea how long he'd been under aside from "too long," Takato was choking on water by the time Kai got him to Jenrya. Both of them held him, keeping his head above the surface as he was in a panic. They let him take a minute to calm down, Seadramon was more than enough to keep the Hangyoumon at bay alongside Terriermon, Guilmon had surfaced to make sure his Tamer was safe. Once Takato was calm, Jenrya supported him while Kai dove back down to help Seadramon, responding to Jenrya's objections with "I'm an uminchu, Jen! I got this, water is_ my _element! You just keep my cousin safe, got it?" After Jen gave a weary nod, Kai took another breath and dove down to aid Seadramon and Terriermon with Guilmon following him. At least Guilmon was somewhat agile in water, though he and Terriermon still weren't enough to help Takato alone._

 _Terriermon told Jenrya later that he managed to pass Takato the leaking air hose, just long enough to let him take a much needed breath before it was cut again, too short to reach Takato's mouth, by the two Hangyoumon holding him. Another chased him around as a fourth kept Guilmon occupied. "It was insane, Jen, they wouldn't let Takato go! I'm glad_ you... _got away at least. If you weren't up there..." ...Kai wouldn't have known anything was wrong. Terriermon couldn't bring himself to say it but Jenrya knew._

 _Jenrya held onto Takato while Kai got Jenrya and Takato's D-Arcs with help from Seadramon. Jenrya and Takato managed to "assist" their partners with card slashes and Kai, being a fisherman with_ experience _diving, was able to help Seadramon, Guilmon and Terriermon while Kai gave "battle reports" firsthand whenever he surfaced. They won mostly through Kai's help, though Takato was_ not _in a state to think or speak, let along slash a card. Jenrya had to hold onto him tightly to keep him from panicking even worse, if his grip on Takato loosened Takato's grip on him would tighten twice as much. He was shouting incoherently and short of crying the whole time. Jenrya did his best to console and hang onto Takato while he aided their partners. When they got back to their boat, Takato was in a state of shock as Kai drove it back to shore while Jenrya stayed by Takato's side. He was silent at first, finally breaking down halfway there. Jenrya and Kai both did their best to calm him down while Guilmon and Terriermon were at a loss for words. Guilmon, especially, felt bad as he couldn't aid Takato at all, the Hangyoumon almost seemed to_ enjoy _what they were doing to Takato. As if they knew_ exactly _what they were doing, Jenrya felt little remorse when they were finally deleted and downloaded._

 _Thankfully, no Hangyoumon got close enough to either of them to pull them under again thanks to Kai. Once he got their D-Arcs back, he stayed below the surface and close to Jen and Takato, he fended off one or two Hangyoumon about fifteen feet under with little trouble thanks to Guilmon and Seadramon._

 _Reika was at the docks, she got Takato into her van with the Digimon, laying him on the floor in the back. Kai took the front with Seadramon (who devolved to Betamon) while Jenrya sat on the floor in the back next to Takato with Guilmon and Terriermon. There was a blanket in the back they put on Takato. Guilmon was silent in worry, just muttering "Takato" now and then. Terriermon remained quiet, too, staying at Jenrya's side and looking between Takato and Jenrya in worry._

 _Takato was in a state of fear no-one had never seen before. The moment Takato was with the others back at their dorm Jenrya went straight to Yamaki's office in a fit of rage he never knew he had in him. The rest is well known to everyone at Hypnos._

 _Once he could speak again, Takato said he'd_ never _appreciated his cousin more than on that day. Kai just said "don't sweat it." But for the first few hours, Takato was gripping onto Kai for dear life as if he were still in the water, occasionally sobbing as Kai explained what happened to the others as they crowded around Takato._

 _"...Don't say it," Juri whispered. "I-I don't want to think about it. I-I screamed at Yamaki-san, too."_

 _"I heard rumor you did, that he was even scared."_

 _"I went a little overboard, only because...He's Takato, Jen, he saved me from D-Reaper. He gave me the White Card in case I ever wanted Guilmon. He's the one who gave me my position with Hypnos, now...I-I...I love him, too, Jen. But you're the one he picked, not me."_

 _"It's...Not fair, though—"_

 _"Jen, just...Just be happy with him, okay? Please?"_

 _"...All right," Jenrya nodded. "But I am sorry, I swear I had no idea those were yours, Juri. I just found them on a bench while cutting through the park."_

" _I know," Juri nodded. "I-I must have dropped them there when I double checked to make sure I had my math work." She had to dig through her backpack to find it, she must not have seen them fall out."Takato even said he'd wear them until White Day."_

 _"I-I thought...I thought he was joking when he told me that," Jenrya let out a quiet laugh. "He really liked them more than I expected him to, if that..makes you feel any better."_

 _"It's because they were from you, Jen. That's why he likes them so much. Don't tell him, please, I-I just know it'll...take away from that."_

 _"Juri, don't be so hard on yourself, okay?" Jenrya put a hand on her shoulder. "I wish I could make this up to you."_

 _"Just go see Takato and tell him how you feel. Trust me, he'll be happy. That's all I should want for him, Jen. Just do that, okay? Right now, just...Just go to the bakery and tell him. Ask him to the dance and everything, too, if you want...I-I just...I'm sorry for getting so upset."_

 _Jenrya nodded, awkwardly. "Okay. Thank you, Juri."_

 _"...Be happy, Jen," Juri whispered, Jenrya felt it was best not to say anything else. He just gave a nod and walked away._

 _Juri only felt the urge to cry. Once Jenrya was gone, she got up and left school grounds, she'd cry in seclusion at the park. Just let it all out. It worked for Takato, didn't it? Takato_ still _cried like he did when he first met Guilmon all those years ago. It was actually a good thing, Juri always saw it as a sign of sincerity on his part. Ruki often made fun of him for it, especially as the "quote-unquote_ leader _" of the group but she still respected him as much as Ruki can respect someone. She led the Digital World Task Force with Ryou but, when on Earth, she viewed Takato as the leader without question. She'd follow his "orders," which he never worded as such: Always suggestions or asking if that person could or wanted to do what he was asking...Takato, while everyone else acknowledged it, didn't see himself as the leader everyone made him out to be. It wasn't too surprising if you knew Takato, though, even if he was still perfect for the role in his own way. If anything, "his own way" was_ what _made him such a good leader..._

 _...The fact that when those Octomon attacked the cruise ship, Takato took Ryou's place telling him not to go. Initially, Yamaki told Ryou he would be in charge of that mission but Takato spoke up immediately and volunteered. Not just because Takato's parents were involved and he wanted to protect them but for what he said next: He didn't want to put Ryou in danger and went in his place with Jen and Kai, saying that Jen had scuba dived in the past with Terriermon and Kai was an uminchu. Ryou didn't have_ any _experience with water_ _or, more importantly, diving. Even if it was obvious Takato was scared of going back to the ocean, underwater, he didn't want to put Ryou in a situation he wasn't familiar with. Hirokazu and Kenta, too, originally Kenta was going to join them underwater but Takato knew Kenta wasn't a strong swimmer, he told them to stay on the boat with Reika and help with any Digimon that might attack on the surface..._

 _...Things went_ so _much more smoothly than before and Takato was more or less his old self after it ended. The others all gave their praise to Takato for his courage and leadership. And, like always, he humbly said he was just very lucky to have his friends to support him. Takato was never good with praise, he was always embarrassed by that sort of thing. Takato never let his position or praise go to his head, he never acted as superior to anyone else. He even said being called "Leader" was embarrassing to him, even Ruki's sarcastic use of the nickname "Fearless Leader" for him._

 _Juri found the bench where she looked for her math homework, where the lost the goggles and where Jen found them. That's where she should cry, it's the perfect place. The spot where she lost her_ last chance _to be with Takato._

 _Juri sat down, she started to feel tears welling in her eyes as she thought about all that happened since she saw Takato with the heart-shaped goggles._

" _JURI-CHAN!"_

 _Juri quickly wiped her eyes, she looked down the path to the park's West entrance. Kai was waving to her, running over. Looks like she'd have to take a rain check on crying. "Ka-Kai-kun!"_

 _"Heya...What's wrong?" Kai asked as he approached, tilting his head. He was wearing his 'mainland' outfit: A pair of tan shorts, a white t-shirt under a green vest lined with pockets on each side filled with different types of cards. Kai actually put some work into sorting them out by pocket, even if he_ never _used them, he'd usually hand a bunch to someone else asking if any of them could help. They were gifts from her and Takato "just in case," but...Kai preferred helping with his fishing spear or karate like Jen when he matrix evolved, using Tai Chi instead of SaintGargomon's "living missile silo," as Hirokazu called him. He wore sandals, no socks, and clipped to his shorts was an aquamarine colored D-arc. And, of course, atop his forehead was a pair of blue swimming goggles with a blue tint to the lenses. His dark brown hair was tied back, going half-way down his back._

 _Behind Kai, Betamon was catching up._

" _Kai-kun! Wait for me! KAAAIII!" Betamon was still far down the path, he wasn't particularly fast in his rookie form._

" _Heh, sorry Seadramon!" Kai shouted, despite his partner being in its rookie form. Betamon\Seadramon didn't seem to care if he used the "wrong" name for his form, Kai treated him more like a "weird looking friend" than a Digimon partner, which was how Rinchei modeled his "friendship" with Pi-kun, a little similar to how Takato treated Guilmon like a pet dog at first. Kai was very informal and, as a Tamer, unorthodox. Something that probably helped him as a Tamer more than hurt him, unlike Jen's brother."Hold on, let's wait for my good luck charm to catch up."_

" _Good luck charm?"_

" _Yeah! He's sort of a frog-tadpole-mix thing with an orange mohawk, right?" Kai asked._

" _Um, I guess," Juri nodded. That could be_ one way _of describing Betamon. Again: Kai was informal and_ very _unorthodox._

 _"Well, I always thought frogs and snakes were good luck, ya know? And he's both of 'em!" Kai replied, with his usual grin. "But, what's wrong? Seriously, don't be afraid to tell me. I can keep a secret, I_ still _haven't told anyone Takato was afraid of starfish as a kid."_

"What?" _Takato...afraid of_ starfish? _This was surprising news._

 _"Heh, maybe I'm kidding, maybe I'm not," Kai joked. Juri actually found herself laughing at Kai's sense of humor: He did have a habit of embarrassing his cousin with 'tales from Okinawa.' "There's Juri-chan's awesomely pretty smile!"_

 _"Ha ha, tha-thank you, Kai-kun." Juri replied. "I-I...I could use some cheering up."_

 _"All right, that's_ just _what we're gonna do!" Kai said, just as Betamon got to him. Kai picked up his partner, rubbing his orange "mohawk," as Kai called it."C'mon, gimme good luck, Seadramon!"_

 _"'Kay! You got all the luck you want!" Betamon said with a happy laugh, he really was a perfect match for Kai. The two were_ always _in a good mood and joked around. Takato even said that if Betamon were human he'd hace two cousins that were brothers._

 _"Great! Now you n' me are gonna go cheer up Juri-chan! We ain't gonna fail this mission, got it?" Kai balanced Betamon on his head, the Digimon could hold on with his legs as long as Kai didn't make any sudden movements. Kai turned to Juri, holding out his hand. "My lady?"_

 _"Ha ha, why so polite?"_

 _"Well it_ is _Saint Valentine's Day, isn't it? Gotta be polite around a cute girl, they won't go out with ya otherwise!" Kai smirked, taking Juri's hand as she stood up. "Let's see, let's see...I think we've got a sweet shop nearby. May the gentleman buy the lady some chocolates or whatever else she likes...?"_

 _"I-I think_ I'm _supposed to give_ you _chocolate," Juri said._

" _Tradition and I don't get along all that well," Kai replied. "And if the beautiful lady is sad, then it is the job of a gentleman to buy her chocolate or anything else that will make her smile again."_

" _Please say 'yes,' Juri! I want some shaved ice!" Betamon spoke up._

" _Seadramon, it's_ entirely _up to the lady! But shaved ice_ does _sound prett-y go~od..." He trailed off._

" _I-I like shaved ice, sure," Juri nodded._

 _"Then off to the sweet shop we go!" Kai led Juri out of the park, taking her hand._

" _Have you...seen Takato?"_

 _"Yeah, guy's been grinning like crazy. Just got back to the bakery as I was leaving. Damn, I had_ no idea _he was so good with girls. His Dad was_ so _impressed by that huge bag of chocolate! And these heart-shaped goggles some other girl gave him. I-I couldn't_ believe it _, I figured they were some goggles he had but didn't tell me about and wanted to be festive, ya know? I might borrow 'em next time I go fishing, I might make a good impression with a mermaid! Whaddya think? Could it work out between us or is the whole 'no gills' thing for me and 'half-fish' thing for her gonna ruin it for us?"_

 _Juri laughed a little as Kai joked about the goggles. "Re-Really?" Juri knew her promise to Takato, she wouldn't tell Kai the candy was almost entirely from_ Jenrya _, with just two bars from her. "He...got_ that _much chocolate?" It stung a little but it was best to play dumb. Especially as Kai was Takato's own cousin, she knew the_ last _people Takato would want knowing this secret was his family. Especially a family member willing to claim his cousin was afraid of starfish..._

 _...Though, knowing Takato when he was younger, this was actually possible. Takato once began to talk about an incident with a "very hungry looking sea turtle" before he awkwardly changed the subject. It was just after Kai arrived in Shinjuku and he was telling the other Tamers of his past visits with Kai, the times they'd go snorkeling or the (disastrous) times Kai would try to teach his cousin how to spear fish._

" _Weird, though, I saw the side of the bag...It had 'Jenrya' written on it, like someone's bag lunch, ya know?" Kai said._

" _Oh, probably borrowed it from Jen to carry it all," Juri said. "Jenrya always brings a bag lunch of his Mom's manju."_

 _"Manju...Heh, I can make that stuff, ya know?"_

 _"You can?"_

 _"Urazoe family recipe, Takato doesn't know it since he lives in Japan instead of Okinawa but I've known it for years. I'll give it to him_ eventually _but not yet. He loves it when I make it with my super special seafood filling," Kai explained. "Why'd you ask about him?"_

 _"No reason," Juri shook her head, she and Kai were just leaving the park._

" _All right, um, it's_ this _way, right Seadramon?"_

" _That way," Betamon shifted on Kai's head._

" _Ya sure?"_

 _"Yep! I see it from the bakery roof!"_

 _"All right, you're the good luck charm!"_

 _"Why do you need a good luck charm?"_

"' _Cause I need to be lucky today! And Seadramon's_ full _of luck!"_

 _"Really...?"_

 _"I know it!"_

 _Juri laughed, Kai was doing his job of cheering her up. She was feeling much better._

 _Once they got to the sweet shop, Kai took Juri and Betamon to a free table. Not many people were there but the few that were gave Kai an odd stare as he walked in with a weird looking "stuffed toy" on his head. One then shrieked as Kai put Betamon on the table and Betamon moved on his own to be closer to Juri. Kai ignored the shriek as well as sudden stares from people, they ended once Betamon gave them a friendly bow, though some still seemed weary due to the Wild One reports on the news. People were like that around their partners at first but calmed down since the news also covered stories about the Tamers, 'tame' Digimon weren't feared as long as they had their partner nearby. A quick flash of a D-Arc from any one of them usually settled things. "Just wait here, I'll be back with tons of stuff to make ya feel better!"_

 _"Tha-Thank you, Kai-kun."_

 _"An Okinawan man will do anything for a lady," Kai replied, walking off._

" _Kai's the best at making people happy! He told me all these stories how he cheered up Takato or Minami!" Betamon said._

" _Minami? How is she...?"_

 _"Good, she got a new dog!"_

" _That's nice," Juri nodded. She heard the story of Minami and the V-Pet incident from Ruki, Takato and Jen. Her laptop was one of the many devices infected by the virus, as well._

 _The story was where she first learned Jen had experience diving, he went to visit the underwater crater. That was why he was the one to go with Takato..._ That _day. Jen was the only Tamer with_ any _scuba diving experience. Takato went with him as he felt it was his duty as leader, he also used his experiences snorkeling or diving with Kai as part of his "resume" in underwater experiences. The most anyone else had was, at best, the school swimming pool._

 _Kai came back with a holder of three ice cream cones with flat bottoms, two chocolate one green tea for Betamon, a giant bag of multi-flavored rice-paper covered gel candies, a big chocolate syrup covered shaved ice with two spoons and a small plate and, finally, an assortment of chocolate ice cream mochi. He sat it all down on the table, bowing. "Hope ya like it!"_

 _"Ka-Kai, this is...a little much!" Juri said in surprise._

" _Don't worry, an Okinawan man spares nothing when it comes to making a beautiful lady smile again!" Kai replied._

' _Yo-You're doing a great job, Kai-kun."_

 _"Wanna tell me what gotcha so down? I'm good at listening, just as long as you promise it won't make you sad again!" Kai gave Juri her chocolate cone and started eating his own cone. Betamon got a plate with shaved ice and his ice cream cone on it, he happily ate it up. Like the other Digimon without much in the way of "fingers," he ate straight off the plate rather than a spoon like Kai and Juri. Guilmon was the same way with his ice cream while Jenrya often complained of stains from Terriermon getting the stuff all over himself. Lopmon, of course, ate with a spoon or, with a cone,_ slowly _and_ carefully _. Shiuchon was the messier eater between the two._

 _Juri held her cone in one hand and ate shaved ice in the other as Kai rested his arm on the table, leaning forward with his chin in his palm._

 _"O-oh, um, it...It was nothing, I just...I gave chocolate to someone I liked but I found out he can't like me back."_

 _"Oh? Why can't he?"_

 _"N-No real reason..." Juri trailed off._

" _Was it my cousin? I can go kick his ass for making you so sad..." Kai trailed off, though Juri had a feeling he wouldn't_ really " _kick Takato's ass." Ruki would but that's only if he ever calls her "Ruki-chan" again or is "stupid enough to_ ever _forge [her] name with another stupid heart."_

" _No, don't worry," Juri shook her head. "It...It was Takato but...I-I'd prefer it if he was happy. He doesn't know I like him, Kai, I just found out he liked someone else. Really, I found that out before I even tried to confess, I just gave him two chocolate bars and then asked if...He liked the person who gave him his other chocolates and goggles."_

 _"I'll go kick their ass, then! Gimme a name!"_

 _Juri's eyes went wide, she almost dropped her spoonful of shaved ice. "Ka-Kai? You'd...You'd kick a_ girl's _ass?"_

 _Kai tiled his head. "...Takato likes girls, now?"_

 _"Yo-You knew?" Juri asked, even more surprised. "H-He told me he was, um, bi, actually but...You knew?"_

 _Kai shrugged. "My cousin is_ not _the most subtle...He doesn't know it but we all know he's...Well, okay,_ bi _is a surprise, but...We don't expect him to come home with a girl anytime soon. Hell, if anything, Uncle Takehiro and Aunt Mie were more surprised Takato was_ so excited _he got so much chocolate! The fact it was from a guy just explains the excitement, now."_

 _"I-It...It's because it...was from Jenrya, actually," Juri said, quietly. "You were right when you said his name."_

 _"I figured as much," Kai nodded. "Didn't know Jen was gay, though. Or had the balls to openly give Takato a Saint Valentine's Gift. But I had a feeling, with how excited he was, some guy got the nerve to confess or something. I didn't know Jen gave him the chocolate, though, just the goggles. More 'subtle' of a gift from one guy to another, you know? Them, too?"_

 _"Goggles and chocolate, yeah. Um, it's a long story but Jenrya's...Jenrya's on his way to confess right now," Juri sighed. "I only gave Takato the two Meiji valentine's day blend bars. I-I didn't know he was bi until today, he told me Jenrya gave him chocolate and those goggles and, um, given how excited he was...I just_ had _to ask him if...We-Well..."_

 _Kai nods. "And did it take much?"_

 _"Not really, I-I think because we go so far back, you know? He just told me he liked both, especially Jen. I-I can't believe I never noticed."_

 _Kai shrugs. "You liked him, right? That probably blinded ya to it, you know? Anything that screamed 'gay,' at least."_

 _"It doesn't bother you at all?"_

 _"Nah, that sorta thing doesn't matter with Gramps," Kai replied. "Um, I'll...tell ya a little story if you promise not to tell Takato or anyone else, 'kay? Our little secret? And I think you'll like it 'cause you're a girl." She was confused as to exactly what Kai meant by that last statement but gave a quick nod._

 _"Su-Sure." What about being a girl would make her like a story so much? She didn't openly question it, Kai was keeping his word about cheering her up. And he was doing an incredible job._

" _About a year or so before I moved here, over in beautiful Okinawa, I knew another uminchu family, namely their son who was my age...He still lives over there, though. I gotta make it clear, I'm not talking about Mondo."_

 _"Mondo?" Juri knew that name mostly through Jenrya and Ruki's disdain for him. Ruki, especially, hated him saying he had 'three times the ego of Akiyama and only a third the brains – That feather fan is a duster for the space for rent sign in there.' Mondo often compared himself to Shoukatsuryou, the legendary tactician from Three Kingdoms, which is why Jenrya and Ruki didn't like him (And why Mondo didn't like Hirokazu when the visor-wearing boy once said "Shoukats_ who _ryou?"_ _Mondo tends to insult Hirokazu's intelligence the most among the others, often in ways that go over Hirokazu's head). He did come off as rather arrogant, especially the times he'd "swoop in" and "save" on the Hypnos Tamers and gloat about how he and Kamemon were the "perfect team" and how he was a "master strategist, like the greats of China." Often while fanning himself with his fan. Juri had never met him in person but the stories she'd heard were_ more _than enough to join the others' dislike. Takato was the only one who didn't openly insult or mock him, Juri figured that it was just because of Takato's general "nice guy" nature. At worst, he'd just agree with Jenrya or Ruki in a passive way._

 _"Kamemon's Tamer in my group, he's a fisherman's son from Okinawa, too, but moved to Tokyo_ years _ago."_

" _Oh, right, I-I forgot he used to live in Okinawa," Juri gave a nod._

" _I knew him back then and kept in touch through Takato. It's not him, though, just to clear it up," Kai said. "He'd be_ so mad _if he heard I was making people think...We-Well. Um, this guy's name was Sugita. And, ah...I dunno if I should call it a fling or 'curiosity' or what but, um, we kinda had a 'thing' going on," Kai says, glancing away with a blush on his face in full force as he scratched his cheek with one finger._

 _Juri's spoon dropped straight into the shaved iced at the speed of her jaw. "Yo-You, too?"_

 _"Eh,_ sorta _..." Kai trailed off, holding one hand up and shaking it from side to side. "I-I mean, um, I dunno if he was, like, the_ one guy _I'd ever go gay for_ or _if I'm bi, too, it's with a_ really _strong preference for girls but...We'd do things like kiss, hold hands. Sugita was...He was_ gay _, no questioning_ that _. I mean, he was the one who dropped the L-word...I-I kinda had a little trouble sayin' it to him for a_ long _time, but...I-I dunno, what was I saying? O-Oh, yeah, um...We were pretty couple-like. I knew him 'cause his dad and Gramps and would go fishing together with him and his Dad, they were divers, too. Except Sugita was a clam and pearl diver, I was an uminchu, I didn't really do much diving for pearls - Trust me, you try to get_ one _abalone off a rock and you'll swear off shellfish diving_ and _eating for LIFE!" Kai said, his annoyed expression earning a laugh from Juri. "We, um, we just, I guess, did everything ya do as a couple. Like, um, my favorite was when we'd build a fire on the beach and just hang out at night-Er, and that's_ it! _I-I don't mean anything dirty by that!"_

 _Juri nodded, smiling. "I-I know, Kai. You_ are _an Okinawan gentleman and all."_

 _Kai smiled, nodding. "Exactly, we just stuck to, y'know, kissing and stuff. Sugita really liked me and, I guess, I really liked him. It went on for a long time, Takato even visited a couple times and hang out with us. He had no idea we were more than friends or anything...But..." Kai let out a quiet and saddened sigh. "Sugita's Dad, um, eventually found out and_ freaked _...Like_ lost it! _We were on the beach, um, kissing in a way the CPR excuse_ never _would'a worked, let's say...We had to break it off 'cause of that but Gramps found out and...I was freaking out, like, he was gonna do the same or worse or_ whatever _horrible reaction_ _runnin' through my mind! But, yeah, I get home all upset and pissed at Sugita's Dad and Gramps calls me into the dining room, saying Sugita's Dad called..."_

 _"O-Oh, Gods...I-I'm sorry, Kai-kun..." Juri also hung her head, giving Kai a sad look as well. "But, um, yo-you said your Grandfather didn't really mind that sort of thing, right?"_

" _Yeah, um, we-well...Gramps is sitting at the table, drinkin' this_ big _beer bottle and looks at me, saying, 'I hear a story that_ you _were kissing another male, Kai..Is this true? Don't lie! It'll be_ much _worse if you lie!' Sounded so stern and angry, I-I thought I was gonna pee myself, ya know? I just gave this nod...And then hear, 'All right, just wanted to be sure.' Then went back to drinking, I asked, 'Um, aren't ya gonna freak out or something?' And he says, 'I still consider your cousin my grandson, don't I?' And that's how I got clued into Takato's orientation, he told me how Aunt Mie thought he_ might'a _been, ah, 'on that side of the fence' 'cause of, um, just how he's blind to girls from school that seemed to like him that came to the bakery. Plus how close he is to Jenrya and stuff, like how after their partners went back they'd cry on each others' shoulders and stuff. She and Uncle Takehiro just 'had a feeling,' ya know? And, with me, um, Gramps doesn't even_ believe me _when I say Sugita was, um, just a 'one-time' thing and I_ still _like girls but promised to keep it a secret."_

" _What happened to Sugita-san?" Juri asked, sadly._

" _Sugita's all right, don't worry. We broke it off only because he didn't wanna upset his family, they were...Not_ cool _with it but lukewarm, I guess. They knew he couldn't change and just wanted to pretend it wasn't true. Sugita could live with that but just wanted to keep things quiet...I was, um, not as okay with it as I claimed I was at the time but...We-Well, um, when I moved to Shinjuku with Seadramon, ah, let's just, um, let's just say...Sugita and I spent my last week in Okinawa as a 'goodbye' couple, you know? Last time I saw him was at the airport, he...Um...Kissed me goodbye and all that."_

 _Juri nodded. "Sorry, Kai-kun."_

 _"It's history," Kai said with a shrug. "I mean, um, I'm fine. And he says he found someone else not too long ago that he's happy with. His family even likes him a little. Not sure if they know how close they are or not but..That's a plus, for a while he wasn't allowed_ near _another guy. 'Specially_ me _, obviously, but he told me: If he had a guy friend over, straight or_ whatever _, his parents wouldn't even let them be in his room with the door wide open. Wouldn't surprise me if they installed a security camera in there to be sure."_

" _I'm glad he's with someone. Why did...Why did you tell me this...?"_

 _"Thought it might make you feel better to know I sorta understand how you feel. Plus, um, it's why I support Takato n' all. And, um, I_ know _girls love these sorta stories, ya know?"_

 _Juri laughs a little. "All three rolled into one story?"_

 _"Yep, exactly!" Kai said with a grin."But, um, the reason I asked ya out here..."_

 _"...Hold on," Juri stood up. She had an idea of what Kai was doing. "Kai-kun, do me a small favor, okay?"_

 _"Um, sure."_

 _"Wait here, don't turn around, okay?" Kai was a little hesitant to agree to that but didn't voice it. The last girl who said that to him left him waiting for almost an hour before he realized she had just walked away after saying it._

 _Kai nodded, he even covered his eyes with one arm while eating the last of his ice cream in the other. Betamon was too focused on his food to even notice Juri stand up. Kai and Rinchei, despite their lack of knowledge, knew_ one thing _about Digimon: They lived for junk food. A quality Rinchei was_ proud of! _The two would often be sighted eating at Lotteria, usually with_ double _the number of burgers for Pi-kun...Jenrya once said that Rinchei had this 'thing' when it came to stray animals: He'd sit there and feed them whatever he was eating, unlike Takato who would try to sneak a pet home (Rinchei stopped that around the time Shiuchon was born). Thankfully, since Guilmon Takato finally had the "pet" he'd always wanted that could stay at the bakery: If anything, the bakery was_ thriving _over the fact customers could meet and play with a real Digimon. Health inspectors ignored it, since Guilmon was a_ data _-based lifeform..._

 _...And Takato made a personal request to the head of a certain_ government _organization that had the power to tell_ government _health inspectors that Digimon were not health risks. It was probably the_ only _time Yamaki-san happily granted such a request from a Tamer. After all, Hypnos' cafeteria for both employees and Tamers made regular orders to the Matsuda Bakery for Guilmon Bread and other items. It was a popular treat that their technicians would eat at their work stations, the sudden increase of crumbs in keyboards being the only thing Yamaki-san would complain about._

 _Juri came back a couple minutes later, Kai heard something placed in front of him as Juri sat down. "You can look"_

 _Kai uncovered his eyes, looking down..._

 _...In front of him was a Meiji Valentines Blend Chocolate Bar. "Heh..Yo-You know what...I was gonna...?" He trailed off._

 _Juri nodded. "There's...a dance at school this weekend. I don't know if you not being a student will be a problem but..."_

 _Kai smirked. "I'll be there,_ trust me _. Even if I gotta hop the fence. Do you have to buy tickets?"_

 _"I'll cover yours, don't worry."_

 _"What kind of Okinawan gentleman would I be if I had you pay for them? Just tell me how much since, ah, you_ might _have to be the one to buy them, last time I went there to see Takato they kicked me out 'cause I wasn't a student..." Kai trailed off , adding. "Thanks, Juri-chan."_

 _Juri smiled. "Thanks for cheering me up, Kai-kun. I'd...be happy if you wanted to...go out."_

 _Kai smiled. He reached over and pat Betamon on the head, saying, "Thanks for the good luck, buddy!"_

 _"Huh? Wha-What happened?" Betamon asked, looking to Kai, then Juri, with a confused expression._

" _...Got carried away with your food again, didn'tcha?" Kai chuckled, "Seriously, give him enough food he likes and he could eat through the apocalypse."_

" _Let's hope, ha ha ha, he never proves that as fact."_

 _"What'd I miss? Kaaaiii! Juuuriii! What happened?"_

* * *

Yagami Taichi

* * *

So, Koushirou's...Unknown, I guess.

Hikari let it slip he mistook her for me online the other day and said some incriminating thank yous and she admitted she _thought_ we confessed or something once she found out he was "gay." I explained what happened that night I, um, _bolted_ from the apartment. I just ran outta my room, shouting, "Gotta run! Friend needs me!" And _ran_ Koushirou's place at full speed. I was afraid his parents _freaked out_ over the fic they found...

...If anything, his Dad _liked it_. That's...That's weird. My Dad would _not_ be interested in my slash fan fiction. And I respect that, I mean, slash isn't _everyone's_ thing and I imagine most straight males wouldn't wanna read about guys falling in love. So, yeah, I'm not gonna take offense if my _straight_ male friends aren't into slash. I mean, I'm not _that_ big a fan of het fics to be honest. No problem with 'em I just prefer _my own_ orientation, you know? I assume it's the same for most...With the exception of straight guys and Yuri, straight girls with Yaoi but...Hey, it's what you're attracted to _times two!_ What's not to enjoy?

But Koushirou was sort of a mess at first, I was...I was sorta surprised by that apology he gave me for _freaking out_ over being gay. I mean, Kou-kun, I've _been there!_ It's _not fun_ to realize this stuff, it's scary as hell! I mean, when I was just hitting that _magical time_ where girls no longer have cooties..Well, I didn't get _why_ that was such a big deal.

Then I realized _why_ I was suddenly hanging out with Koushirou so much more than usual and, um, things sort of evolved from there. I _knew_ I liked him about a year after The Dark Masters (and _that_ was about a year _after_ Hikari outted me). And I gotta admit, keeping _that_ a secret wasn't easy. Especially that day in Akihabara to buy his camera...I thought he might suspect something since Hikari was the photography expert but he was the computer expert so he could splice the videos and stuff, plus it was an early birthday gift for him. It was _great!_ Just a whole day with me and Koushirou...

...I got worried with how I didn't really _react_ when he woke up after falling asleep on my shoulder on the train ride home. Especially my offer to _let him_ use it as a pillow but, um, I forgot I'm not _obviously_ gay. I really have to work at it for someone to even _suspect_ me. I mean, if I started _acting_ flaming gay?

I actually _tried that_ once with my cousin, she knows, too. But, um, first I did it while taking her around the city: I just acted _really_ flaming gay to where it was _sorta_ fun. I forget _what_ led up to this but, well, she made some comment and I jokingly decided to "gay it up" to see if she'd figure out I wasn't joking. I guess it was another "test run" to see how coming out to my friends would go, it was a few months after Yamato _refused_ to believe me when I told him I was gay!

Things were mostly funny until some girl with a gay brother came outta _nowhere_ and chewed me out for it.

" _Hey! You! Mr. On Fire!"_

 _"Huh? There a problem?"_

 _"Yeah! How_ dare you _make fun of gays like that? Homophobic assholes like_ you _are why my brother was so afraid to tell_ anyone _he was gay! Newsflash, stupid, there's_ NOTHING WRONG _with it!"  
_

" _Wai-Wait!"_

" _Seriously, not_ all _gay guys are flaming sissies like you're acting!"_

 _"I-I know, just wait—"_

 _"And...Seriously, you wanna mimic gays, Mr. Manly Man? Why is it? Got some secret desires you wanna hint at? Huh? Homophobes like you—"_

 _"I_ AM _GAY! I WAS JOKING AROUND! I KNOW NOT ALL GAYS ARE FLAMING SISSIES 'CAUSE I WAS JUST_ _ **PRETENDING**_ _TO_ BE _A FLAMING SISSY!"_ ...And cue a _ton_ of stares in the middle of the park one _very_ shocked cousin...

" _...Oh...Um...Sorry?"_

...I'll say it: _Awkwaaa_ ~ _aaard_...

She apologized and learned a lesson: Sometimes a guy just _has_ to let out his inner fabulousness! Seriously, I was acting flaming as a joke to see how long before my cousin _realized_ I wasn't "joking" about being gay! Took until I had to out _myself_ because, apparently, I'm more likely to be mistaken as a _flaming homophobe_ than _flaming homosexual!_

I'm not going to like telling the others, am I? I mean, they're not gonna believe me. And if one _does,_ I'm going to just say it: If _one_ , just _one_ of the others says "I know" or just "All right, I can accept and believe that" THEN I WILL KISS HIM OR HER ON THE LIPS BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY _BELIEVE ME!_ Unless it's Daisuke or Ken, 'cause they're together. Or Yamato and Sora for the same reason.

...Though I won't lie: Yamato's cute enough to where I _might_ make an exception for him. Just him, though! Hell, Sora might just _like_ the idea of seeing her boyfriend kiss another guy! I gotta find _some_ way to take advantage of shounen-ai fangirls, don't I? I'll ask Sora in private later if she'd mind it if I kissed Yamato in front of her, I'll even let her take a picture if she wants!

Actually, looking back to when Jenkato revealed who he really was: Koushirou was pretty casual about things, I mean, he was sorta awkward at first but once we got talking it was pretty fun. I mean, I got to tell a friend who was _obviously_ cool with things. That meant a lot to me, I mean it's not every day I can talk to one of the others about this kinda thing. Even if he said it was straight (at the time), just being able to talk to _Koushirou Izumi_ about how much we like a couple shounen-ai pairings? It was a ton of fun, especially joking around about the "Hirokazu and Kenta kiss" running gag. He thinks the next one will end with either one accusing the other of doing it _on purpose_ or, and I swear to the God he _really said this,_ "they'll break the kiss, stare long and deep into each others' eyes and then just make out as anyone watching will figure 'about time they admitted it!'" Dude, until he called me, I was actually _kinda pissed_ he was straight. Mostly 'cause, like I said, I _kinda_ like the guy and we just spent hours talking about things like that. If that isn't The Universe screwing with me, I don't know _what_ is!

Hikari's one thing when it comes to talking about stuff like that but _Koushirou?_ Heh, even after he used his real voice instead of "Jenkato's" (which, um, I told him, "No offense but you sounded kinda like a stoned version of Harry Potter." He laughed and told me it was because he had, like, two seconds to figure out how to hide his identity from me) I couldn't believe it was _him_ of all people! I was a _really_ disappointed when he said he was straight but, ah, given what's happened...I'm glad I got to help him and his parents sort all that out.

This whole "I'm not sure" thing sort of makes sense, once I thought about it after I got hoe. I don't see him as the kind of person to ever think about girls or dating so it makes some sense this is all new and really scary to him, even the part where he _didn't_ know he could be gay. He told me that he never really thought about gay anything until he got into Jenkato (through my "rants" with Daisuke of all things, I guess my plan kinda _did_ work!) and explained the whole "deeper love" thing he liked. That reason for liking it was really cool, I think, since it's sorta true and even _I_ didn't think of it: Either of them confessing to the other does take a ton of balls, especially if they have no idea what the other _thinks_ about homosexuality. It's a huge risk and even things work out and they end up together, things could also _suck_ really fast when their friends and family find out. Kou-kun said it best the other night, _"I just think that...To be willing to risk so much for someone you love, that means you really do love that person. It's why I like the pairings so much because of how much they're willing to put at stake to be together. It's really, um...Moving, I guess."_ I always knew Koushirou was a deep thinker but _holy crap..._ I'm gay and I never even saw it like that!

Before I left, I told him to talk to me whenever about whatever and any conclusion he reaches we're still best buds. I just wish this wasn't so freaky for him, it wasn't a picnic for me either but _crap_...Then again, I've been in that same position: It's _not fun_ at all. It's _terrifying_. Just like him, I had two parents practically screaming "IT'S OKAY, TAICHI! WE STILL LOVE YOU! YOU CAN BE AS GAY AS YOU WANT! IT'S OKAY TO BE GAY!" And all I could do was sit there and cry like a little kid, I just wanted to run away and pretend none of it ever happened.

I think part of it was, well, I was still kinda young and "figuring it all out," you know? It wasn't long before The Digital World, so when it happened...I guess it all kinda hit me when my parents just flat out asked me if I was gay: _Yes, I was gay!_ I looked at gay fan art, I read gay fics, I loved tons of anime slash pairings and, yes, even realized over time I had crushes on some of my friends and other guys on my soccer team...But before then, I never really thought of myself as gay. I guess I wasn't so much as in the closet but in the dark over the whole thing. Not saying I wouldn't have cried if I _had_ acknowledged my orientation at the time but I think it would have been a _little_ easier. I guess thinking back to all that makes me feel like I can help relate to what Koushirou went through the other night. And his parents were just as apologetic as he was for running to his room like that, they thought he was a _lot_ more comfortable with (or even _aware_ of) his preference than he really was.

I was surprised when he _apologized_ for freaking out, too, and making it sound like being gay was _so horrible_ it was worth being so upset. I didn't see his reaction like _that_ at all! I mean...Dude, I get it! I knew he wasn't treating it like his parents told him he had six months to live or something, it's not because he's gay so much as, well...

...Like Koushirou told me what he liked about shounen-ai and Jenkato: The 'risk' involved. There's a stigma attached to guys like us and we know it, people have been known to get _violent_ with us over it. That whole "deeper romance" thing, except we're _SUPER_ aware of the downside to things. If Takato confessed to Jen and Jen freaked and told everyone? Takato's life would be over, especially if his parents got pissed and disowned him. To have the balls to tell another guy you love him, especially without _any_ idea of how he'll take to the news, is _really_ brave.

Leave it to Koushirou to _analyze_ what's so awesome about Jenkato. Ha ha, I told him that was a really cool way to look at it. I mean, my reason for not coming out yet is 'cause no-one'd believe me, mostly, I have my family's support and I'm not afraid of anyone who might get pissed over it. But if I _didn't_ have my family's support? I'd be a complete wreck over it, probably. Worse than Koushirou was, even, and his parents were telling him "it's okay, we love you no matter what" the whole time! That's kinda what I really like about him, Koushirou _always_ has this one of a kind take on things and that kinda proved it. Hell, I take it as a compliment: He was telling me it's brave to be able to _say_ "I'm gay" to someone.

Thanks, Kou-kun. You're freakin' _awesome!_

Anyway, when I got back from Koushirou's my family wanted to know what happened but...Given how Koushirou _freaked_ when his own parents said they'd love and accept him, I didn't think he'd like having been outted to my family even if I just said "he's not sure yet" or something. I told them it was an emergency for a friend, he's better now! I was... _sorta_ in a good mood when I got back, actually. I mean, um, as much I hope whatever conclusion he comes to _isn't_ gonna freak him out...

...I got a _shot_ with Koushirou! I-I've been a little on edge since that night because, well, I shouldn't be _rooting_ for him to be gay since he was _really_ scared and I know for a fact how scary it is to have your family suddenly ask you _outta nowhere_ if you're gay but...

...Would he be okay with _bi_ , maybe? Sorry, Kou-kun but...You're _you!_ He's _really_ good looking (I don't care what they say, I kinda like what most would define as a "nerd," hell, I even think _Jyou_ is _cute_ , but...He's no Koushirou. Well, okay, I think Jyou's new glasses are _really_ cute on him but I betcha they'd look better on Koushirou...Amazing how a guy who for, like, two-thirds of his life thus far spends twelve hours a day staring at a computer screen _doesn't_ need any kind of vision correction), especially with how much taller he is now and the shorter haircut. He's _super_ nice and everything, I mean, he's someone you can _always_ depend on like with all those videos he did for me. From the montage to the special "Taichi Soccer Star" video he did at our "better luck next year" not-so-victory party. And he gave me a copy of _everything_ he filmed.

I put up a ton online for my guildmates the other day...I won't lie: There's a _lot_ of "skins" vids there but...I _kinda_ picked skins most of the time he was around 'cause, um, I was...I know I _can't_ turn him gay but I was hoping something _might_ click in him that says "Damn! Look at those muscles on Taichi!" Is it _so wrong?_ Probably but I don't care! Koushirou's _freakin' cute_ , damn it!

Koushirou even made those videos for Daisuke and Ken (...of each other...If Hikari _didn't_ tell me she walked in on them sucking face, I'd _probably_ suspect them now after hearing _that_ – If Daisuke wanted "the best of Daisuke" and Ken wanted "Ken's greatest hits" that's _one thing_ ). And he's there for _everyone_ with a computer problem. And did I mention he's _GREAT_ looking?

So, yeah, I've had a thing for him for a _long_ time, especially since he's one of my oldest friends. I know Hikari's been rooting for us since she talked to him in WoC...And mentioned she let Daisuke and Ken's little secret slip, too. I got the strangest feeling she let _something else_ slip but...Koushirou hasn't been any different so...I _don't_ think she told him I have a _little_ crush on him. She said all she told him was she thought one of us had confessed to the other or something, _"The way you ran out of the house and then came back smiling, Niichan, I thought he confessed to you over the phone and you want to see him in person or something!"_ I told her what really happened and she said she felt really bad that he had to go through something that embarrassing.

Plus I think she had a guilt trip over how she outted _me_ that night. I told her to knock it off, I'd forgiven her for it, like, _twenty-thousand times_ now! It might've taken me a week the first time but, hey, it was kind of an honest "Hikari" question, you know? Hikari, especially when she was younger, had this whole "super innocent little girl" thing about her. Any other girl on Earth at that age probably knew what yaoi was but _not_ Hikari. And it's _so_ like her to ask our parents what something like Yaoi is...It's how she found out what a "hooker" was, after all. Before, she thought it was someone who made fish hooks. I'm dead serious, one night (before the "what's Yaoi?" Incident) she asks our parents at dinner, "Mom, Dad, what's a hooker? Is it someone who makes fish hooks?" She said she heard an older boy at school use the word and, um, Mom and Dad stumbled through a vaguely "innocent and young Hikari friendly" definition for her.

My cell goes off while I think. I pick it up from next to my mouse pad and look at the display: Izumi Koushirou. Huh, wonder if he needs to talk about the other night or just wants to chat. "..Koushirou-kun?"

"Hey, Taichi-san...Wanna go out?" ...Eh?

Gods, this'd _better not_ be another dream! I love and _hate_ those Koushirou-loves-me dreams 'cause I _always_ have to wake up. But considering our cat isn't smoking a pipe and reading the paper and Hikari's head wasn't upside down when I last saw her...I doubt this is a dream.

So I _like_ where this is going!

"Wh-What? ...Are you gay or joking?" I let out a laugh. If it's the second one...Not cool, Koushirou!

"Gay." Wo-Wow...For someone _so scared_ before he sounded _so_ confident. I like that in a potential boyfriend. Or just the fact said potential boyfriend is _Koushirou Izumi_ helps a lot, ya know?

"Welcome to the dark side," I let out an evil chuckle. Kenta-chan's got me calling this 'The Dark Side,' she's a mega huge Star Wars fan, her favorite character is Darth Vader so she tends to quote the guy a _lot_ in the game: She finds your lack of yaoi...*KSSSHHH* ... _Disturbing_. "And you're...asking _me_ out? Wait, lemme guess why...Hikari told me you mistook her for me earlier..." I gotta know, _did she?_ 'Cause..

...This is the last test: I don't want Koushirou to think he _has_ to go out with me 'cause I like him. I mean, I'd feel bad if I found out this was all because he found out I liked him a _lot_ and felt guilted into it. I can't turn him gay but it's possible to guilt him into _trying_.

"...She might have let something slip but, I promise, it's not the only reason I'm asking you out." YES! Hikari, you are forgiven! "Don't be mad at her." Already forgiven! I'll get her some of her favorite candy later as thanks!

"I won't be, don't worry. You're really okay with being gay, though?" Gotta be sure, I mean...He's _really_ confident, that's great but...When I last saw him in person, he wasn't doing _nearly_ this well. But, I've been there when it comes to the "whole family asks if you're gay" thing, too, and "recovery time" is pretty quick when they all support you in the end. Just _really_ embarrassing and kinda _weird_ for the first couple weeks. Like, I dunno, being out just has this whole "everything feels sorta weird" vibe for the first couple weeks of it, even if everything is still more or less normal. I gotta ask Koushirou if he's got the same feeling later.

"With the support I'm getting from you and my family...Yeah, I think...I think I can be okay with it...I'm more embarrassed by how much I _denied_ it to myself like that...Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"...Was I obvious or anything? I mean, is this...surprising?"

"...Well, yes and no. Before I knew you were a shounen-ai fan, I saw you as straight. But, after I found out you liked shounen-ai... ...'It made sense,' you know?" It's true, I mean...

When I found out _Koushirou_ was Jenkato, I _had_ to ask if he was gay, too, since, well, I was hoping for a yes, obviously! But when he said 'no,' I believed him but...I still had a little trouble, given how awkward he sounded and how I remember Jenkato _not_ correcting me when I asked if he was 'in the closet.'

Of course, that 'no' _really_ sucked for me at first, I mean, I felt like " _this close_!" I was _this close_ to having Koushirou or, at least, a really good shot at him! Of course, if he said "yes, I'm dating Jyou" then...I'd feel _even worse_ and probably hire a hitman to take out Jyou. Sorry, Jyou-kun, the whole "Chosen Child" thing was fun and all but...You gotta go, now!

Okay, I wouldn't do _that_ but...I'd be a _little_ pissed at myself for not just _telling him_ sooner. And...shocked about Jyou, actually.

But as I talked more and more with Koushirou both before _and_ , especially, after his parents confronted him? It seemed more and more _likely_. But...

...Given how scared and confused he was, I didn't wanna just swoop in as the magic gaydar master who just says "You're _totally_ gay, your fee is ten minutes alone with me in the closet." I thought it was better if he came to the, um, sorta obvious conclusion on his own. And if I was _wrong_ and he believed me? ...I'd feel like _crap_ , especially if we got to where we are _now_. I can't do that to a friend, Koushirou or _anyone_ else. I'd feel like a complete ass if I did.

"...Yeah, I guess that's why that story was...'the confirmation' it was for my family." Yeah, um, _that_ was...

...I gotta tell Koushirou sometime, I think he had the worse experience between us 'cause, um, my sister asking "What's Yaoi?" After looking at of some of my website favorites is _one thing_...Koushirou's _Dad_ printing up and _reading_ his shounen-ai fic with his Mom and then hearing him talk to _me_ about being gay? And then bringing it all up _at dinner?_

I dunno, the fact it was _his fan fic_ that they thought was the big piece of proof...I mean, my parents _don't_ know I write _some_ shounen-ai fan fics (Hikari does the most, she's even friends with another writer online: WingedAngel or something like that) even though they know I'm gay 'cause, um, I think there's just _some things_ parents should _never_ see.

I wonder if it's true about his Dad actually _liking_ the thing. Does that mean Koushirou's Dad is gonna wanna see the rest? Gods, _that_ would be awkward! What if the guy does a search for his fics? Also, I just realized: I've known Koushirou-kun as a slash fic writer _this long_ and have _not_ asked him where they're archived! Gods, I'm a failure as a friend _and_ a homosexual!

But speaking of his parents...

"Have you told them?" I ask.

"...Not yet, I will tonight. _That_ I need some mental preparation for. But, are you busy...?" ...No, no I am not. Is there a reason you'd like to know? And I _really_ like that tone of voice he just used!

Best. First date. Ever! And it hasn't even _happened_ yet!

"For you? Not at all..." I _cannot_ stop this grin. I _cannot_ stop smiling. I PHYSICALLY CANNOT STOP SMILING! MY LIPS ARE TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE TO MY BRAIN! I COULDN'T EVEN FORCE THIS SMILE AWAY WITH MY HANDS IF I WANTED TO! THIS IS SO _FREAKING_ AWESOME! "Where do you want to meet?"

"How about that ramen place on Nami street we like?"

"Sounds great! Meet you in...'Bout half an hour?"

"Sure, I-I'll meet you there! And, um...Thanks again, Taichi-kun, for all the help. I-I think _that's_ why I, um, wanted to...Tell you first and ask you out. I like you because you're not only so nice and we've been friends forever but...You're the one who kept me from losing my mind that night, Taichi. I-I don't know how I'd have gotten through it without you."

"Thanks, Kou- _chan_ , anytime but...I'd have helped you no matter what, I mean, you _are_ one of my oldest friends and, well, this is something I _know_ pretty well so if I _didn't_ help you, I wouldn't deserve ya. Just as long as you're _really_ okay with it, though."

"I-I am...See you soon, um, Tai-ch-chan..."

"Ha ha, don't be so nervous and...You don't have to use any new honorifics if you don't want to."

"If I'm not to be nervous, then I have to."

"All right, See ya soon."

"See you," Koushirou hangs up.

I look down at my phone, my face _still_ stuck in the "HAPPY AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE" position. The display shows: Koushirou Izumi, call ended. And the call time.

I pocket my cell phone and take a deep a breath, reflecting on what just happened.

"...YES!" I jump into the air, both arms raised. "YES! YES! YES! YESYESYESYESYES! YES! YES!"

My door opens, Hikari steps in with Agumon. "Nii-chan—"

"YES!" I shout.

"Wha-What's going on? You...make it on the Japanese national soccer team or something? Wh-Why are you so—"

"HE ASKED ME OUT!" I shout. I can't help it, I'm actually doing a _victory dance!_

"H-He? Ko-Koushirou?"

"YEAH!"

Hikari smiles, running up to me and hugging me. "That's _great_ , Taichi! H-He knows he's...?"

"Ye-Yeah," I nod. "He just called and asked me out!"

"Taichi? What's going on?" Agumon pokes his head in the room. "What happened with Koushirou?"

"Koushirou-kun asked him out, Agumon," Hikari explains.

"Uh..." Agumon gives us a blank, confused stare.

"It means we're going on a date!" I say.

"Uh..." I forgot, Digimon don't have "romances" like we do.

"We're going to hang out and eat food together." I say.

"Um...Don't you already do that together?" Agumon asks.

"Yeah, but now it's in a romantic setting." I reply. "Gotta run, sis! See ya! You, too, Agumon!"

"Have fun, Niichan!" Hikari says as I go out into the living room.

"Why is Taichi so excited about Koushirou and food?" Agumon asks. "I get the food but..." Ha ha ha! Agumon's the one with the biggest appetite among our partners, food is all he thinks about now that Vamdemon's history. I know the _one time_ we took him to this all you can eat buffet they kicked us out 'cause he ate enough for _six_ people. My parents were a _little_ annoyed but when I came back with two _massive_ plates of just about everything (especially stuff from the dessert bar) _just_ for Agumon, they realized the owners _kinda_ had a point: Agumon might just be able to eat 'em outta business in one night if he put his mind and stomach to it. They were at least nice enough to let him finish what he already took.

I dart to the door to get my shoes and go for the hall, I'm halfway down until I realize: I _forgot my wallet!_

I charge back to the apartment, Hikari's already by the door with my wallet. "Forget something?"

"I ain't letting him pay for the first date!" I say with a grin, I take my wallet and run off, checking real quick to see how much cash I have at the end of the hall!

Plenty! It's all on me, plus the six movies and five sundaes! YES!

Koushirou, _you're the best!_

I wonder how open he is to a first kiss on the first date...? I can be patient, though! _Very_ patient...

...Okay, _not VERY_ patient. A _little_ patient? Oh, _who cares?_ I'll settle for holding his hand!

THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!

* * *

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Heart Shaped Goggles  
V

 _Jenrya stood outside of the doorway into the bakery, he had been contemplating what Juri had told him to do since he left. Though he took the long way to the bakery to think._

 _Even_ knowing _Juri had confirmed that Takato liked him, it wasn't easy to build up the courage to_ come _to the bakery. Especially with how hurt Juri was over the goggles he found. He couldn't believe they were hers and that she planned to confess. And Takato, instead, told her that he liked_ Jenrya _, while wearing the goggles she meant to give him, oblivious to their original meaning._

 _All of the events of the day were overwhelming to where Jenrya felt a little sick. He knew Takato had been staring at him after he gave him the goggles and candy but the idea he felt the same way? For_ Jenrya? _It just didn't sound possible, no matter how much Takato smiled and stared or what Juri told him: All of this seemed like some wonderful dream or cruel prank the cosmos (or Juri) was about to pull on him. What would he do if Juri was wrong? Or Takato was just in that good of a mood for some unrelated reason? What if this was all some huge misunderstanding? And, worse, what if Takato objected to his feelings? Could he play it off as some joke? Claim Juri dared him to confess to Takato? Would Takato feel the need to tell everyone he knows? Would Jenrya's family find out and react the same?_

 _No, even if Takato objected to Jenrya's orientation and feelings: He would never be so malicious. Jenrya felt safe in knowing that at least. Even when the others vented their annoyance towards Mondo, the egotistical "tactician" among Kai's Ichari Tamers, he never openly mocked him like the others did. He would, at worst, nod and say "he can be very full of himself" or something like that. Granted, being nice to a massive jerk and someone who disgusts you are two different things but Jenrya hoped the precedent with Mondo would be enough to at least calm his nerves._

 _Why is this all so difficult? Even with almost certain confirmation, Jenrya was still unable to act on his feelings. Feelings he had had for so long and, at times, wished Takato could return so badly. It was all so unbelievable and unnerving, like Jenrya's entire future depended on what he was about to tell Takato: The biggest, most frightening secret he'd ever kept from anyone._

 _Jenrya stood at the door, looking to the bar to pull it open..._

 _...Until Mr. Matsuda pushed open the door for him from the inside. "Jenrya? Are you okay? You've...been standing here for almost five minutes."_

 _Jenrya suddenly realized that contemplating a confession in front of a glass door is a_ terrible _idea._

" _O-Oh, sorry, just...thinking. Is..Is Takato home? Can I see him for a few minutes if he's working?"_

 _"It's a slow day so he's in his room. Any idea who those girls are?"_

 _"Girls?"_

 _"Takato had_ so much _chocolate and said a girl gave him his new goggles," Mr. Matsuda laughed. "He's, um, been smiling ever since he got home."_

 _"A-A girl...?" Jenrya knew this much: He was not a girl. He might double check when he gets home, though. One can't be too sure after all. "N-No, no idea." He let out a nervous laugh._

 _That meant Takato was hiding who really gave him the chocolate and goggles. And the fact he's, apparently, been happy since he got home..._

 _...Juri wasn't lying._

" _Well, come in, Takato's upstairs."_

 _"Is Kai around, too?" Jenrya kept forgetting now and then, his best friend now had a "new brother," as Kai called himself. The Matsudas didn't have any guest rooms or anything, so Takato and Kai had to share a room. Jenrya didn't need Kai walking in on this._

 _"Nope, he left just as Takato got home," Mr. Matsuda replied. Perfect! Jenrya knew not even Guilmon was up there, he caught him by the dumpster out back with a_ big _pile of bread. That usually means a burnt batch of bread since Guilmon_ loves _fresh bread, he doesn't even mind it burnt to a crisp. The Matsudas, however,_ do _mind the smell of burnt bread in the bakery (such a smell doesn't really instill faith in the quality of their bread, after all) so they put it outside for Guilmon to devour._

 _Mr. Matsuda must have gotten distracted when Takato got home (Probably the prospect of how, apparently, popular his son is with girls...Jenrya_ really _should have realized what giving Takato all that candy implied) because it was a BIG pile of bread. And Guilmon looked happier than ever, Takato had been meaning to weigh him before and after eating at some point to see just_ how much _bread he can eat until he's full..._

 _...Except Takato doesn't think Guilmon's_ ever _been full! The first day of his return, Takato told Jenrya that the two spent the next day baking and eating Guilmon bread. Takato had started baking regularly since the break after D-Reaper. He was an excellent baker, Jenrya thought, and would often bake batches of bread to share with the others at Hypnos. In fact, it was a batch of bread he gave to the monitoring lab techs that led to Hypnos' cafeteria placing regular orders with the bakery. Takato liked that since being able to eat his favorite food any time made him feel less homesick when away at Hypnos for long periods of time (which had been known to go on for_ weeks _at a time)._

 _Jenrya nodded. "Thank you." He bowed his head and went to the back, taking his shoes off at the stairs and going up to Takato's room. He knocked on the door. "Takato-kun?"_

 _"Jen-kun!" Takato sounded..._ Happy! _Happier than usual and, well, Takato was generally_ always _happy (even to the point where his cheerful mood gets on both Ruki_ and _Yamaki's nerves at times). "Come in!"_

 _Jenrya opened the door, Takato was sitting at his desk, doing homework. He was_ still _wearing the heart-shapped goggles. "H-Hi, Takato-kun, um, I-I wanted to talk...About, um, things."_

 _"Things...?" Takato asked. "What do you mean?"_

 _"We-Well, the...The candy I gave you and the goggles. Um, you_ really _liked it all?"_

 _"Of course, Jen-kun. I-I really, um, appreciated the...the gesture," Takato said, a little nervously . "I-If that's...Um...We-Well, um, can I ask_ why _you...gave me the goggles and candy...?" His cautious tone, Jenrya had a feeling of what he really wanted to say. The fact he still had the faintest hints of a smile as he said it made Jenrya feel better: Takato didn't outwardly object to the possibility of romantic intent. Now that Jenrya thought about it, if Takato did object to the idea Jenrya_ was _being incredibly bold and making a gesture of love, he would have likely said something at the time. At the very least an awkward comment about how guys don't normally give other guys candy and weird heart-shaped gifts on Saint Valentine's Day._

 _Jenrya nodded slowly. "Well, it_ is _Saint Valentine's Day...And hearts are in season this time of year. And, um, the candy...We-Well, you...You know the tradition, right?" Jenrya shook as he spoke, he started to shake because he was so nervous. This was it, the moment of truth: His future was at the biggest crossroads of his life...And he was picking the 'confession of love' path. The path to_ Takato _."Guys get candy from..._ people _...who like them." He closed his eyes as he said 'people' instead of girls, silently_ praying _Juri wasn't getting some form of revenge for him giving Takato those goggles._

" _.._ People _, Jen? Yo-You mean...You_ really do...?" _Takato trailed off, a little nervously. "I-I was afraid to really ask or say much in case it...I got the wrong idea and you were, um, just being friendly. Bu-But...A-Are you...?"_

 _Jenrya nodded, eyes closed shut, mouth closed and refusing to let out a single word._

 _Jenrya heard the sound of Takato standing, he kept his head down and eyes closed._

" _Jen, just...Just so we're_ perfectly _clear here, um, you...You're, um...Tha-That is...You like o-other...?"_

 _Again, all Jenrya could do was nod with his eyes shut tight, his heart felt like it was going to break out of his chest while his arms were stuck at his side with clenched fists and his legs were torn between being frozen, bolting out of the bakery and turning into a gelatin like substance all at once. His stomach was in knots and his throat was so tight he could barely breath._

 _This was it. The moment of his life he was so afraid would come, as much as he'd hoped it would in one sense: Takato felt the same way. By some miracle of fate, Takato liked him back. A possibility so unlikely he hardly ever considered it outside of his wildest dreams._

 _The quiet gasp from Takato didn't help him feel any less nervous. It wasn't loud, it didn't sound like one of disgust. Jenrya couldn't help but still feel more and more anxious during the silence to follow._

 _Not until he felt Takato's arms around him. He finally opened his eyes, Takato was hugging him. Jenrya relaxed his arms, his heartbeat slowed down, too. "Ta-Takato...?"_

 _"...Me, too, Jen-kun." Takato whispered. "Thank you_ so _much_. _I-I couldn't believe it when you did all that for me...Thank you, Jen!"_

 _Jenrya smiled, feeling all of the tension in his body drifting away. He returned the embrace, saying, "Thank_ you _, Takato-kun. I-I wasn't sure how you would react to the gifts so I was...I was scared. I'm sorry for being so afraid but..."_

 _"I understand, I-I never told anyone until, um, I let Juri know because she asked. I-I was so happy when I saw her after lunch," Takato says. "I couldn't help it, I kept thinking 'Is this all what I think it means? Does Jenrya_ like _me?'" Takato laughed, adding, "I'm_ so _glad I was right!"_

 _"N-Not that...Not that I think the school would be_ too _thrilled but...Want to go to the dance or...?" Jenrya wasn't sure if Takato would want to be so 'out,' he wasn't even sure if_ he _wanted to do it but Saint Valentine's Day only comes once a year._

 _"If you, um, would be up to doing that. It's up to you, Jen. I mean, um, I want to tell my family sometime soon, I don't think it'll be too much of a problem but..."_

 _"...If you want to, I'm happy to, too. I-I just need some time before I get to my family. Rinchei will..._ not _let this go any time soon. Or Pi-kun." Rinchei had already begun teaching Pi-kun the art of annoying Jenrya for laughs. Annoying Jenrya was a form of "bonding" between the two as both tended to laugh in equal, annoyingly_ high _amounts (and, often,_ pitches _) each time. The fact Shiuchon was also teaching Pi-kun the art of_ pranking _Jenrya along with Rinchei didn't help matters, either._

" _I understand, Jen-kun. Um, do you...want to make this..._ official?" _Takato asked, nervously._

 _Jenrya tilted his head. "O-Official...?"_

 _"...Y'know..." Takato glanced away, smiling. Jenrya suddenly caught on and let out a nervous laugh._

 _"O-Oh! Su-Sure, um, if you want! I-I have_ no problem _making this official!" Jenrya said, a smile spreading across his face. Takato just hugged him tighter before they looked to each other, leaning in..._

 _...Their lips met_ just _as a voice outside shouted_ " _FINISHED THE BREAD! GOT MORE?"_ _Taking_ both _of them by surprise, they_ barely _kept their first kiss going._

 _Once it ended, Takato laughed, "Looks like Guilmon wants to be let back in...I-I'll wait to tell everyone until after Kai gets back."_

 _"How...do you know they'll take it so well?" Jenrya asked as Takato let go of him. He didn't think the ever-so-shy Takato Matsuda would be so willing to tell his parents he was in a gay relationship so quickly._

 _"Oh, um, you gotta promise to keep it a secret, okay?" Takato said._

" _Of course." Jenrya nodded._

" _Kai, um, had a boyfriend once."_

 _"Wha-What?" Jenrya's eyes bulged, he couldn't believe he_ heard that! _Kai Urazoe had a_ boyfriend? _Suddenly, Jenrya feared he was in the middle of a_ very _realistic dream. Realistic up until this point, that is._

" _Ye-Yeah, um, my parents heard from Grandpa Wataru and they told me. It's supposed to be a secret since, um, Kai seemed really scared to admit to it and, um, he's bi, we think, but he claims he...Um..._ Only _liked this one boyfriend and no-one else so he's not all that comfortable talking to Grandpa Wataru about it. He doesn't even know that I know."_

 _"Really? Wo-Wow...I-I thought he, um, wanted to ask Juri out."_

 _"He probably will, he's...We're both, um, bi," Takato blushed slightly. "Wha-What about you?"_

 _"Just, um, just gay. I-I think. I...I've never really liked girls the same way I, ah, li-liked...You," Jenrya replied. "But you're bi? I never suspected you as...Anything but straight, really."_

 _Takato nodded. "I, um, just held out hope with you, even though I thought it would never happen. Thank you so much for telling me, Jen-kun. I-I...I'll be right back, okay?" Takato went to his door, he ran downstairs and came back about half a minute later with two bags in his hands. "I-I should have thought of it sooner, I should give you some choco-pan. It's one of the few sweets you like, right?" Very true, though Jenrya didn't like milk chocolate, he loved the Matsuda Bakery's choco-pan. They used a more bitter chocolate to counter the sweetness of the bread, it was_ very _good. His elder sister liked it, too, while Rinchei and Shiuchon preferred custard-pan, especially the kind with powdered green tea mixed into the custard. Jenrya liked that one a lot, too, but chocolate was the most fitting for this occasion._

 _Jenrya laughed, saying, "Thanks, Takato-kun. I appreciate it. Want to split one with me?"_

 _"If you want," Takato said. "We could, um, have some bread and do homework or...Whatever you want to do." His tone and expression, of course, hinted that there was another option to that, one that Guilmon had almost interrupted about a minute ago._

 _Jenrya nodded, slowly. "Su-Sure!"_

 _Takato and Jenrya spent most of their time doing homework, though after a few minutes Jenrya was confident enough to make_ sure _they were an "official" couple. It was enough of a distraction to where they didn't hear Kai hopping up onto the balcony._

 _The sliding glass door opened wide, Jenrya and Takato panicked and turned to Kai. "Huh? Oh, don't mind me! Continue, continue!" Kai said, walking to the door, grinning. He was completely unfazed by what he saw, Jenrya just remained in stunned silence while Takato tried to speak up._

" _Wa-Wait, Ka-Kai-kun?" Takato stammered as Kai went to his door, Kai stopped with his hand on the knob. "Yo-You...You...?"_

 _"What? Sorry, didn't know Jen was still here. Like I said, don't mind me!" Kai said._

" _Yo-You don't...You're not...You're not surprised...!" Takato_ finally _managed to get out, Jenrya was still frozen._

" _Ah, ya plan to come out soon?" Kai asked, Takato just nodded. "I'll let your parents know to act_ really _surprised, okay?" Kai's casual tone mixed with the implications of that statement did not sit well with either Takato or Jenrya._

 _"Wha-What?" Takato's voice squeaked. Jenrya just let out a few incoherent stammers as he stared at Kai, then Takato, back to Kai then back to Takato._

 _"...We kinda knew," Kai said with a shrug. "But, uh, if ya got a minute I have_ awesome _news!"_

 _"The-They knew?" Takato asked. "How?"_

 _"Just always had a hunch, especially with how you didn't seem into Juri and, um, Jenrya was_ always _at your side, too. That and Gramps knows when a guy's staring at something he_ likes _, like, ah, a certain friend of mine named Mondo ring a bell...?" Kai smirked. Takato just nodded, slowly with no idea what to say. Jenrya just sat quietly and did his best not to blush or stammer nervously at the situation. "But, hey, still do it formally n' all! We'll act surprised and everything, 'kay?"_

 _"...Thanks, Kai-kun..." Takato let out a sigh. "And your...'_ awesome' _news?"_

 _Kai grinned. "Got a date to the dance_ and _my first kiss! Looks like we_ both _got 'em on the same day!"_

 _Takato's expression was a disbelieving one. The sort of one that says "you're lying" even louder and more clearly than if it had been spoken. The not-so-subtle smirk on Takato's face added volume to the unsaid words._

" _Wha-What? Ya don't believe some pretty girl kissed me?" Kai shouted._

 _Takato looked to Jenrya, Jenrya just gave a nod with a look that told Takato that, no, Jenrya was not above outting Kai. As a liar, of course. "No, I don't believe it's your_ first _kiss."_

 _"...Wha?"_

 _A sly grin spread across Takato's face as he realized:_ Two _could play at this game. "Does a young fisherman named_ Sugita _ring a bell...?" Takato asked._

" _...Aw,_ crap _..." Kai groaned. "Wh-Who told you?"_

 _"My parents after Grandpa Wataru told them." Takato replied. "Kai, you of_ all _people should know, Grandpa has a high school teenage socialite's sense of gossip." Jenrya couldn't help but do a double-take as Takato_ said those exact words! _He still remained silent, mostly out of confused shock._

" _...Okay, I-I guess...I guess fair's fair but..." Kai groaned, Jenrya held back a laugh. "Oh, don't find this funny, Jen! A-At least, come on, both of you! Let's go downstairs, get some ramunes tell Takato's parents to stop feigning ignorance and_ CELEBRATE _how_ awesome _Saint Valentine's Day is!"_

 _"A-And, um, who did...you kiss?" Jenrya asked._

" _A_ very _beautiful girl by the name of Juri Katou, who I plan to take to a certain dance this weekend. Will you two be joining us on a double date...?"_

 _Takato nodded. "If Jen-kun wants to."_

 _"I do," Jenrya smiled, putting an arm around Takato._

 _"Great! Now, let's party! Choco and custard pan by the pound with ramune by the gallon! Or we'll sneak some sake, either way, let's have_ _a party!"_

"Sa-Sake?" _Jenrya shouted._

 _Takato rolled his eyes. "Kai, this is my new boyfriend Jen. Jen, this is the world's worst influence since Kenta Kitagawa met Hirokazu Shiota."_

" _...I see..." Jenrya trailed off._

 _"Jen, Jen, Jen..." Kai crossed his arms. "We_ have _to get you to Okinawa again sometime soon. Teach you all the important things in life: Karate, sake, fishing, sake and more sake."_

 _"I practice Tai Chi, Kai-kun," Jenrya said._

" _In that case: Get you to Okinawa so we can see whose martial arts are best!" Kai struck a karate-esque fighting pose, earning a laugh from Jenrya and Takato as he made the clichéd 'come at me' motion with his hand. "And bring Juri to Okinawa, too. In fact, Jen, we'll do the real spar in secret, the one in front of Juri...I'll give you 5,000 Yen to take a dive and make me look good."_

 _"Ruki told me never to take dives for less than 10,000." Jenrya replied with a light smirk._

 _Kai hesitated but then put some thought into Jenrya's offer for a moment or two. "Having Juri-chan cheer me on in swimwear is_ more _than worth it!" Kai said. "Deal." He took Jenrya's hand from his side and shook it wildly for a good five seconds, then walked off with a wave._

" _...He knew I was joking about that 10,000 Yen thing, right?" Jenrya asked, looking to Takato._

" _Should you find 10,000 Yen under your pillow from the 'Fixed Fight Fairy,' just go with it," Takato shook his head. "I have stories about Okinawa you wouldn't_ believe _."_

 _"Do tell, Takato-chan, do tell..." Jenrya trailed off with a raised eyebrow._

" _Well..."_

 _And with that, a pair of heart shaped goggles brought two couples together in time for Saint Valentine's Day._

 _~Owari~_

 _Notes:_

 _Sorry to keep summarizing the season at certain parts, I haven't been able to watch it in order so a lot of it was sort of a way of taking notes for the fic's sake, it's easier for me to remember these things if I type them down but I worked so much of it into the narration I didn't think I could edit it all out that easily or without removing a lot of the overall plot and motivation for some of the characters, Juri and Jenrya in particular. I also felt that the characters' different takes on various parts that I focused on were important, like the Hangyoumon episode since it was so dramatic for all of the central characters. The close call would have affected Juri and Jenrya greatly because of their feelings for Takato, I think._

 _I tried to keep it all relevant to the plot. I didn't even know season two was a continuation of season one since I missed the fifth movie and didn't recognize Kai from the D-Reaper episodes. I thought it was a new cast until Takato showed up at the end of episode three and they added the original cast to the opening after that episode._

 _I hope you enjoyed this story._

 _-Jenshirou Izuda_

* * *

Izumi Koushirou

* * *

All right, just finished posting it on my FanFicWorld account: Heart Shaped Goggles...

...I also put a fully edited, printed copy on my Dad's pillow. I-I know I should be _okay_ with this but...

...There's something inherently wrong with the idea of my father _wanting_ to read _my_ shounen-ai fan fiction. Something just... _WRONG_ with that. I-I thought he was just being supportive the first couple times he said he liked it! When he asked me if I'd _written more_ since he found it?

...I-I was...a little disturbed. I know I shouldn't be but I was. As much as it's a sign my family without a doubt supports me.

Speaking of which, though, I just got done telling my parents the words I'm sure they were _expecting_ to hear. It was just after my first date with Taichi. I had left a note saying I'd be out for dinner and that I wanted to talk to them when I got back. I was sure they knew what it was about, possibly even _what_ I was doing out: On a date with _Taichi Yagami_.

I _kinda_ want to log on to World of Chaos to let Kenta know, she'll _lose it_ but...That's just mean. I know Taichi has a _lot_ of "female fans" as one of the best soccer players in school, so the fact we'll be together so much...I wonder how many will figure out _why_. We discussed, um, what to do when Taichi finally comes out, a little, but most of the date we just spent, um, talking about the past few days. I was really nervous when we met at the ramen shop, I wasn't sure _what_ (if anything) I was supposed to say or do. Or if I was supposed to say or do anything _different_ from any other time I've gone out to a restaurant with Taichi, it's not like we've never had _lunch_ as friends. I know I probably came off as awkward throughout the first half of the date but, thankfully, I was with a _very_ understanding boyfriend. One our food arrived, Taichi just told me to relax and enjoy myself like I was just "having a meal with a very good friend." I guess a lot of my nerves came less from the fact I was on a date with a _guy_ and more the fact that, well, I've never been _on_ a date before. I did try to insist on paying for things but, um, Taichi just said, _"Kou-_ chan _, I just went on a date with_ you _. I want to pay for this and keep the receipt as a permanent reminder to myself that, yes, I have been on a date with Koushirou Izumi."_ He was joking, of course, but I turned _bright red_ as it sank in that _that's_ exactly what had just happened, Taichi and I just had our first date. And I almost forgot this was Taichi's first date as well. I think it slipped my mind because of how casual and confident he was compared to me.

Taichi assured me I was "doing fine" for my first date and relationship. And the date also ended with a first kiss for _both_ of us as well.

My first kiss was a _little_ awkward, um, nothing like in my fics. I sort of included that in Heart Shaped Goggles, with Guilmon screaming for more bread. I wanted it to _still_ be a _little_ romantic. I also, um, added this joke about Kai and Takato both being not-so-secretly-bi to their family. I think it came to me as a way to reflect my own situation; I'm not-so-secretly gay to everyone but _myself_. I asked Taichi how many of the other Chosen Children might suspect me as gay, we both admit it wouldn't be too surprising if at least _one_ other figures it out.

Personally, I think it would be Jyou, since we spend a lot of time together (and I _strongly_ suspect he and I _might_ have similar tastes, let's say) or, maybe, Ken given how smart he is and he's generally good at reading people, one of the few "Digimon Kaiser" traits he _improved_ , Ken has a tendency to know what most of us are thinking at any given moment. He may not be "Kaiser Smart" anymore but he's _definitely_ the smartest among us. We also agreed: It will _not_ in any way shape or form be Daisuke. It would take _us_ falling out of a closet playing "glue face" for _Daisuke_ to believe it, I think.

From what Taichi's told me, Daisuke is a _serious_ closet case. He said that compared to Daisuke, I'm walking around wearing a T-shirt that says "I'M GAY" with my cell phone number and the words " _Call me, Cutie~!"_ Under a big rainbow on the back. I had a good laugh at that comparison, actually. As did Taichi, we got to joke around a little about all that's happened. And it felt _really_ good to joke around like that. I finally found some of the _humor_ in all this. And Taichi knows what kind of jokes help me calm down about my realization. I thanked him a lot for his help and just for being someone to talk to...

...He said the same of me, actually. I asked what he meant and he told me I was the first person outside of Hikari he could really talk to about everything. That actually meant more to him that I realized. He even said, _"Especially since it's_ you _, Kou-kun. Not 'cause I like you so much as, well, like why you told me the reason you liked Jenkato so much...Only you would think of something so deep, ya know? That's what's really amazing about you and why, out of everyone, I'm glad I could talk to you about being gay. And the fact you, y'know,_ believed me _was a huge plus, too. Ha ha ha!"_ Taichi...Thank you. I really had no way to respond to that, I didn't know Taichi thought about me in such a way.

I finally thanked him, bowing low, and he jokingly told me not to be so formal.

We talked about a lot, like I said. Daisuke and Ken came up a bit since, well, I had no idea until Hikari told me. Taichi admits he was strongly hinting at it when he joked about pairing them up the talk we had before my parents confronted me. We also have a sort of bet going on whether or not Dausuke will deny his orientation _when he and Ken_ come out...In a way, I mean. Taichi sees him saying he _still_ likes girls but Ken's just the exception the proves the rule, while I see it as more he _will_ deny it like he has with _everyone else_ and Ken will just tell those who don't know in private. Really, um, if what I've heard is true: Those two are more or less out because of how many times _someone_ has managed to walk in on them. Or the number of people who Wormmon has complained about not being able to play "glue face" with Ken to...

...Taichi, as well, wishes he could see Ken's expression whenever _that_ topic comes up.

But when I got back home, my parents were waiting in the living room. Taichi went home a few streets up, but offered to be there for support if I wanted it. I told him I'd be okay. I also didn't want to inconvenience him anymore, I felt a little bad he paid for dinner but he _insisted_ on it. Taichi was in an _amazing_ mood the entire time, he was happier than ever. I-I was, too, actually. I really think things will work with Taichi-kun, he's...

...Taichi. He has so many great things about him, from his courage to his willingness to help _anyone_ in need and, ah, Taichi Yagami is _very_ attractive, let's just say that. Very, _very_ attactive. And I am not ashamed to admit that. Not anymore.

I-I might have enjoyed the five or so "do over" first kisses a _lot_ more than I was expecting to. And I don't see that as a bad thing at all!

*Ahem* A-Anyway, my parents were waiting in the living room, I stepped inside and took my shoes off as they greeted me. I then stepped in front of the couch they shared and, as boldly as I could, said, _"Mom, Dad...There's something I want to tell you._ " I was, um, learning firsthand how hard coming out is. Despite that, it's still my favorite part of a fic, even though I left out the 'coming out' to the already knowing Matsuda parents in Heart Shaped Goggles. I thought it should end there with Jenrya, Takato and Kai celebrating their newfound relationships. And I still, sort of, covered it with Takato and Jenrya to each other or Juri's confrontation of the two of them. And Kai's story to Juri counts, too, I guess.

Actually, the part about Kai and Sugita was, um, a little last minute. I thought it would be a nice way to show why he accepted (even _knew_ about) Takato so readily combined with a way to make Juri feel better as he understood how she felt. The idea of making Takato and Kai bi was also a _little_ wishful thinking on my part for my own orientation: I originally wrote Takato as gay and Kai as straight but after that night, I went back and changed it...Oddly enough _on_ the night my parents and I had the, ah, "talk," I looked over the "fic that ruined my life" tempted to delete it but changed my mind and made the change. I used Sugita since he appears in a few flashbacks when Kai talks to Mondo, the character from Okinawa that moved to Tokyo, Sugita was a mutual friend from their childhood that is brought up now and then. Mondo used to be an uminchu, too, but wanted a more "city" lifestyle.

Mondo's a _really_ serious character, the opposite of Kai, he's the Ichari Tamers' tactician and knows enough about cards to rival both Ruki and Ryou. He just doesn't like to compete in tournaments, he even _really_ gets to Ruki when she challenges his to a game and replies, _"Those who feel they need to prove their superiorty to others are inferior at heart. Do not insult me."_ Ryou, Kai, Takato and Jen _all_ had to hold her back after that one. He also compares himself to Shoukatsuryou from Sangokushi, which really annoys Jenrya because, well, it _really_ says something about your ego when you call yourself "The Sleeping Dragon" of Kai's group. Ruki tends to be the first to insult his intelligence which _really_ gets to him, he takes so much as the word "idiot" like the greatest of offenses.

I didn't want to make Mondo his old love interest since he's a regular character and is more annoyed with Kai than anything else, Kai doesn't "appreciate his brilliance" so he's been trying to get Yamaki to let him become an "official Tamer" and replace Juri as the group's "card dealer" and "tactician."

Probably his biggest moment of being a complete jerk in the series is when he learns about Juri's role as the "card dealer" and how she lost Leomon. _"You would let someone so inferior they let their partner_ die _be your tactician? What sort of imbecile lets someone like_ that _anywhere_ near _cards?"_ _THAT_ scene led to Ruki punching him and Juri broke down while Takato and Jenrya screamed at him. I didn't bring it up in the fic since it happens in the Summer time. Ken _really_ hates his character because he reminds me _a lot_ of The Digimon Kaiser. Plus his knock at Leomon, ah, "hit a sore spot" with Ken...We all saw that episode together on Daisuke's DVR at a party and, well...

...It was an "Osamu flashback," sort of. We stopped the episode (none of us had seen it yet, so Daisuke didn't know about that part) and had to help Ken. _"Mocking the dead...I hate Mondo's character so much...Ho-How_ dare _he..."_ Daisuke went into a _complete_ guilt trip since he was the one who suggested watching Tamers. But Ken told him, _"Don't worry, Dai-kun. You didn't know...I'm sorry, I-I...It just...I don't know why I thought...of Niichan like that..."_ When Ken refers to Osamu as "Niichan," it's a sign he's _incredibly_ upset. We're almost _always_ at a loss of what to do when he's brought to that point, it's easier to bring him out of a Digimon Kaiser guilt trip than it is to bring him out of a "Niichan" moment. Daisuke especially gets upset (for now obvious reasons) when _he_ can't help Ken get out of it.

Thankfully, he felt better after a little bit. Iori helped, actually, since, well, he felt the same way as Ken about "mocking the dead," let's say. The two helped each other feel better. Actually, we felt sort of bad since we didn't _notice_ Iori brooding in the corner of the room while we surrounded Ken but he understood. Iori knows about "the wish" Ken made, he felt Ken's emotions were more important than his. Which is exactly what Iori would do. Really, I think a lot of the more mature aspects of some of the characters, especially Jenrya, are derived from him. Iori really is the most mature among us _despite_ being the youngest.

Actually, it's sort of weird but...Now and then, when we watch Digimon Tamers, some of us tend to have moments like that, probably from things the writers of the first season picked up while interviewing us that time.

For me, it was the whole "Jenkato" thing and my orientation, which pales in comparison to Ken but, well, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park for me. It's why I used bisexuality for Kai and Takato because, when I rewrote those parts, I was _hoping_ that, if I was attracted to males, I was also attracted to _females_ , too. In the end, especially after that date, I _think_ I'm just gay, like Jenrya in the story. And, as of now, that's completely okay with me. I don't mind one bit, especially with Taichi and my parents supporting me so much.

So, when I told my parents I wanted to talk, Mom spoke first:

" _Koushirou? Is it...?"_ Mom was cautious with her question.

I just took a deep breath and nodded. _"It is. Mom, Dad...I'm gay."_

And, um, the reaction I got was a tearful hug from my Mom and a proud pat on the back from my Dad. They were both _proud_ of me for coming out of all things. I was glad, even though I knew I had their support. The fact they were showing it was more comforting than I anticipated. Even if they more or less knew, I'm glad they took it so well. I thought about it the night after they confronted me and felt bad about how I ran to my room despite their supportive attitude: It could have been _so_ much worse for me. When I told them about that later, they told me that they understood and apologized for even thinking to confront me like they did. They said they should have put more thought into what they said, they had assumed I was both certain of my preference and confident in it...They had no idea how scared I was when I realized that I never really _thought_ about my orientation until then.

We talked a little more, I admitted that I had just been on my first date with Taichi, though I left out the part about my first kiss. Mom really likes the idea of me seeing Taichi, she says he's "very good" for me, especially with being an athlete. I haven't played soccer much since the Digital World, so I feel safer know Taichi is there for those "less approving" than our families. Dad really likes him from the night he came over, saying, _"Just from how he showed up out of breath because you needed him...Taichi's a wonderful pick for a boyfriend, Koushirou."_ I had trouble controlling my blush when my own _Father_ called Taichi my "boyfriend," it still feels weird to hear them say things like that. Taichi told me it'll get better over time, his parents talk about his orientation casually to where the only surprise will be that Taichi's _finally_ seeing someone. He said, _"Mom's nowhere_ near _as bad as Hikari but she's been known to give me, ah, 'rather strong hints' that I should find myself a boyfriend. She doesn't wanna see me alone, I guess. I kinda can't wait to see the look on their faces when I tell 'em I got someone I've had a thing for for a_ long _time."_

" _...How long is_ that, _Tai-kun...?"_

 _"Ah, let's just say I knew it enough to tell Hikari around, um, Diaboromon-ish. Round one, I mean."_

That's...a _long_ time. I felt almost _honored_ by the fact he said he'd had feelings for me _that long_.

But once we finished talking, I figured out how to end Heart Shaped Goggles and posted it on my FanFicWorld account. Just in time for bed, too, I want to know if I get any reviews tomorrow.

I let out a yawn, glancing to Tentomon. He's in his Tento-Bed, asleep. I'm already changed for bed, I go to my bed just as there's a knock at me door. "Come in."

My Dad opens the door, smiling. "Koushirou, um, just wanted to say good night," he says. "And, um, thanks for that, ah, 'report' you gave me. I'll...look it over tonight for you."

I nod. "Tha-Thanks, Dad. Hope you...like it." I really can't believe _really does_ like that fic! This is _so weird!_

"I think I will," Dad says, smiling. "But, um, just wondering..."

"Yes?"

"Is this your _only_ report or...?"

"Ah...I-I might...have one or two others. Wh-Why?"

"Just wondering... Good night, Koushirou." Dad closes my door.

Suddenly, I think I might want to re-name this fic in case my Dad tries to do an online search for my FanFicWorld account—Nah, I don't write anything objectionable...And Taichi said this gets _less_ awkward over time.

Granted, even _he_ thinks it's weird _my father_ likes my _shounen-ai_ fan fics...For a show he doesn't even _watch!_

At least he used a less frightening code word than "story" or "fan fiction." I like "report," it...refers to the night my parents brought a serious personal issue to my attention, even if it started out, ah, "not so well." I thanked them again for it, actually, when I came out officially. They told me I shouldn't thank them but I feel I should, they only did it because they care for me. Not because they were afraid I was gay or upset with any of the potential answers: They did it to tell me I was their son, forever...And, um, the fact I'm their adopted son, despite it never really being an issue, the fact that they still told me I was _their son_ and they will _always love and support_ me...

...That made it all feel so much better in the end. My parents really are the greatest.

Even _if_ my Dad's, um, _requests_ for my fan fiction are going weird me out for a _long time_ to come.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	6. Epilogue

Heart Shaped Goggles  
Epilogue

"Ken-chan! Ken-chan! Ken-chan!" Huh? Ugh...Wormmon, it's...It's Sunday, I sleep in on Sundays, remember? It has to be important, though, Wormmon doesn't wake me unless there's something important (or, at least, something he _thinks_ is important).

My family really does like Wormmon, though...He's...My Mom actually _called him_ "Ken's Baby Brother" to some friends a little after I brought him home after BelialVamdemon. I-I...I couldn't believe it, especially since...

... _I_ used to be called... _Osamu's_ baby brother. I-I didn't think my parents would _ever_ want to use an analogy like that but Wormmon is, well, Wormmon. It's hard _not_ to love him like family, especially with how, I guess, adorable he can be most of the time. He really is a member of the family to all of us. My Dad treats him like a little kid, if anything, like we're watching the neighbor's son or something (a lot of it comes from Wormmon's general level of innocence and curiosity, I think, he reminds us of a little kid more than the other partners tend to), he'll often buy him ice cream and candy he likes while my Mom sets a place for him at every meal and makes sure he eats _healthy_ , too...I sometimes can't believe it, between his status as "one of the family" and his place next to me at the table and how much he likes my Mother's cooking (especially since the other Digimon are notorious for their love of junk food, Wormmon is the exception to that, he likes steamed carrots _a lot_ ): It's...

...It's like...there's another Ichijouji in the house, I think. I-I mean, we all had to explain the whole "Chosen Child-Partner" bond to our parents, as hard as it was to put it into words...I ended up saying, " _Wormmon...Is like a member of the family to me, with the strongest sense of loyalty I've ever seen."_ The fact he followed that up with a tearful _"Thank you, Ken-chan!"_ Hug, clutching onto my arm as I pat his head. Wormmon gets emotional very easily and I tend to mirror him depending on what gets him started. Hearing stories about Osamu or when he tries to ease my guilt over my..."Alter ego" tend to be the most common.

I think that's why my Mom (and to a lesser extent, my Dad) "adopted" Wormmon as my "baby brother." I-I..I even told them I had a feeling he'd be calling me "Ken-chan" until I'm old and gray and, well, Mom joked, _"It's short for Ken-niichan."_ He's... _Never_ going to replace Osamu in _anyone's_ heart but...

...He's my little brother as far as Mom's concerned and both of my parents treat him as more "family" than "talking animal friend" like the others do (though I hear Koushirou's mother calls his partner "Tento-san" a lot). I know most of the other Digimon get "talking pet" status. Except Gomamon, he gets " _HYPER_ stray talking puppy" status – I've had Jyou call and ask if I was busy because one of his family members "needs a Goma-break" for a couple hours, I never turn him down since I _know_ Gomamon is...the most hyper and curious of the Mons (Also, _NEVER_ try to explain how _television_ works to him! It'd be easier to _build_ your own television), he once came over with Jyou to watch his favorite Super Robot anime because, as Jyou-san put it, "My Mom has a _really_ bad headache and Gundam starts in forty-five minutes. Can I borrow your living room? I'll bring snacks!" I said he could come over and when I answered the door, Jyou had two shopping bags _filled_ with snacks. Not all for Gomamon, he brought enough to share with Wormmon and I. Wormmon ended up being bounced into my lap at one point when Gomamon started to cheer on his favorite character during a space battle, he jumped up a little too high and sent Wormmon flying. Wormmon was okay while Jyou told Gomamon to be more careful.

I-I've _never_ seen someone get so _into_ a show, Gomamon was cheering and on the edge of his seat _every minute_ of it. _Especially_ the fights in space. He'd either get really anxious and worried his favorite characters will get hurt or, when they've turned the tide of the battle and start to win, jump up and down making laser noises, cheering on his favorite characters. I-I actually _recorded it_ on my cell phone, it was really funny to watch. Jyou even said I could put it up on Youtube, a _lot_ of people post "partner videos" to show off their Digimon.

For most people, Digimon get treated like "talking pets." Not too many people are used to the idea of a "Digimon Partner." Thankfully, most people are quick to bond with their new friend and get treated less and less like a stray animal you're suddenly forced to live with. A lot of social media sites have "Digimon Groups" where people discuss and show off their partners. Or some are dedicated to certain _types_ of Digimon, often using Pokemon terminology like "Water Type" or "Dragon Type." I guess Wormmon counts as a "Bug Type" Digimon. I'm not very active in social media but Jyou says his brothers are, they've seen _dozens_ of "Water Type" Digimon groups, they said their videos of Jyou's partner going crazy while watching anime are labeled as "adorable" or, more commonly, "lol, too funny!"

Wormmon and, strangely enough, _Tentomon_ (Koushirou's told me this) are the only ones among the Chosen Children who get "family treatment." Tentomon just doesn't get it to the extent Wormmon does with my family. With Daisuke, V-mon is treated as a 'pet dragon' by his parents (Or _that creepy blue thing_ by Jun), _both of them_ brag about their son's "Pet Dragon" at work and to friends, often giving photographic evidence or, in the case of his father, inviting his boss to dinner so he could _meet_ said dragon and get a raise or promotion. It worked, though Daisuke has mixed feelings on "showing off" a "pet dragon" while V-mon just likes the attention. He's as playful as ever.

Actually, when it comes to Wormmon's "family" status...He's one of the few people I (or, _especially_ , my parents) ever really talk to about Osamu. Even Daisuke is afraid to ask about him. And the others, they're worried about how sore of a subject Osamu is and don't want to upset me, especially after I broke down during a Digimon Tamers episode of all things...That "strategist," Mondo, mocked Juri for "letting Leomon die" and...It just got to me because of how much his character reminds me of the Digimon Kaiser and... _that wish_...He relentlessly mocked Juri's lost partner until someone else punched him. I lost it a little before that, the others turned off the TV and tried to help me calm down. Iori, too, got upset but kept his distance because, as he put it, "While I was offended, too, it was obvious you needed emotional support from the others." I thanked him for that...

...Iori is the one other person I've openly spoken to about Osamu. He did the same with his Father, Hida Hiroki. We haven't really told the others about our "dual support group," though. Mostly Iori, it's really hard for him to bring up the topic of his father. To put it simply, the others know more about Osamu than they do Hiroki Hida.

But with Wormmon? I asked him why he asks so much about Osamu, especially since my parents told me he only does it with them when I'm around...

...I asked him at dinner with my family when he asked questions about Osamu, he said, " _Ken-chan, you smile when you talk about happy memories with Osamu-san...Ken-chan should always smile like that!"_ _THAT_ was the day Mom _and_ Dad considered him my official adopted _brother_...Because my Mom picked him up, hugged him and _cried_ , thanking him for even _noticing_ something like that about Osamu and I, let alone...doing all he could to make _me_ happy, as always. Even Dad got a little choked up over Wormmon's...I guess genuinely sincere care towards making me happy. At first, he was afraid he made my Mother said since, well, Wormmon usually equates tears with "sadness" but, well, as she said, _"No, Wormmon-chan, I-I'm...I'm happy. I'm happy that you're here for Ken-chan. Thank you for saying what you did."_

Thank you, _little brother_ , ha ha ha. I often wish he _did_ get to meet Osamu...Especially since I know Osamu would spend _hours_ just _studying_ him and the entire _concept_ of a "Digital World" and "Digital Creatures." I think he'd be just as or even more fascinated than Koushirou is and he's our resident _expert_ on Digimon.

Then again, Osamu _did_ have a notorious fear of any and _every_ insect on the face of the Earth...I'll never forget the day he screamed bloody murder when a _giant_ spider (even by "Osamu's severe arachnophobia" standards, he called anything bigger than a Daddy Long Legs a "tarantula") crawled onto his computer screen.

Dad's response was, _"Osamu, if this is ANOTHER Daddy Long Legs—BY THE GODS, IT IS AN ESCAPED TARANTULA!"_ Even _he_ was afraid to go near it without a _broomstick_ between them, he managed to swat it out a window, then _slammed it shut_. Osamu didn't open that window again for _weeks_. He told me once his favorite season was Winter because there aren't as many bugs. He even told me he planned to move "as close to a cold climate a possible" when he...was older...because bugs aren't as _plentiful_ in cold climates. The worst times, however, were when Osamu would see pictures those giant moths or beatles in documentaries: Those even _freaked me out_ as a little kid, Osamu would look away and ask me to tell him when it was off the screen. Dad _loved_ telling him he could look only for Osamu to see a _creepy close up_ of whatever bug was scaring him, I'll _never_ forget some of those screams if the bug was something like a tarantula or giant moth...

...But I think he'd still like Wormmon in the end. He'd just take it _very_ slowly. The fact Wormmon doesn't have insect-like eyes _really_ helps. Osamu always said that their eyes was one of the things about bugs that creeped him out the most, especially if they had more than two.

I sit up in bed with a yawn, glancing to my computer—Oh, I left it on last night. Wait, what's _Wormmon_ doing...?

"Wormmon? What is it?" I ask. He's sitting in front of the keyboard, looking to me, then the screen.

"You got a new email! I think it's from Daisuke-san!" Er...! Wormmon, _please_ , don't read my email...

"Why...do you think it's from Daisuke?" I ask, getting up. I yawn again and stretch, going to the chair.

"Because it says 'New Story: Heart Shaped Goggles,' um, 'Pos,'" Wormmon says. Oh, it's...It's a New Fic Alert from my favorite fan fiction site. My inbox cut off part of the subject, it should be "Posted by" some writer, I only have three I get alerts for: AngelicWing, LeomonLives and Jenshirou Izuda. I...kinda got into the fandom ever since Daisuke admitted: He _does_ like Takato Matsuda, he just doesn't want to be _associated_ with him through their mutual love of goggles. _A lot_ of us suspect Takato's gay on the show, or at least _joke_ about it. Daisuke and Taichi, _especially_ , argue over who Takato is "based on," at first it was Daisuke's way of 'easing into' _possibly_ coming out to Taichi and the others but...Let's just say any Chosen Child still in the dark is _BLIND!_ Especially after that _repeated_ incident with Takeru and Iori. Or Hikari, Jyou, Sora...Wormmon, _why_ are you so _obsessed_ with "glue face?" H-He told Hikari (among others but Hikari's heard the most of the "rant," save for... _two other people..._ that heard a _lot_ more) it's "a game" Daisuke and I play where we...pretend our faces are glued together...And then complained about how only _Daisuke_ is allowed to play glue face with me.

...Wormmon, I-I don't know where to _begin_ with that. I-I really, really _don't_. I can _guess_ where it will go, "We play glue face because we're in love, Wormmon."

"But I love Ken-chan!"

"Ah...This is...different..."

"How...?" Then it gets _more_ awkward. And I don't want to word it in a way that makes Wormmon think I _don't_ love him. His "black and white" sense of the world isn't very helpful when it comes to the topic of, _ugh_ , wanting to play _glue face_ with me.

Actually, I haven't told Daisuke yet but...Wormmon told my parents. Sort of. I asked them to bring him to a soccer game from home for me (I mixed up my dates, I thought it was the next day) since Wormmon really wanted to see my team play.

When they got to the field, they both looked..."Strange" let's say and my Mom just said, _"Ken, we need to talk after your game. It's very important."_

Turns out, on the way over, Wormmon saw my Dad give my Mom a kiss and said something to the extent of _"You two play glue face, too? How do you play?"_ And...You can figure out the rest, once he got to the " _Daisuke and Ken play glue face all the time but Ken won't tell me the rules."_ Part of it.

I wasn't mad at Wormmon, I forgot thst Digimon probably have _no concept_ of why Daisuke and I were (poorly) hiding our relationship. Or that they have no concept of "homosexuality" or "the closet" and why some people want to keep certain relationships a secret. His attitude is that if two people love each other then _everyone_ should be happy and celebrate the fact they're in love. It's a wonderful sentiment but, unfortunately, we don't live in the world as Wormmon sees it. Which is a shame, I think that would be a wonderful world to live in.

My parents were..."Confused" but they said if I'm happy in the end, they'll accept things. We actually talked at home since, well, as soon as I got into the car, my Mother spoke...

" _...Ken, um, Wormmon asked us about...a game you play...With Daisuke."_ I knew where it was going _immediately_.

" _O-Oh, um...Re-Really? Fi-Final Fantasy...?"_ One can hope, right?

"Glue face."

And thus began the most awkward drive home of my _entire life_.

" _Ah...Ye-Yes, it's...It's a_ complicated _game. Ca-Can we talk about it a..._ little _later?"_ I made my usual "not in front of Wormmon" look, which I _usually_ reserve for topics like, well, _not_ -so-good memories of Osamu and things like that.

My parents nodded and, well, I distracted Wormmon with a TV movie while we talked in the dining room. I explained what happened, how Daisuke..."Confessed." It was a weekend where he got ahold of a small sake bottle while his parents were gone and, well, was the only one to _drink_ said sake while we "watched the show." Naturally, Daisuke kept _Iori_ out of this one since he knew he'd be against it and, of course, could _never_ lie about it and say "Daisuke-san did not do anything remotely bad, unhealthy or _ILLEGAL_ while I spent time at his apartment. We spent the night watching television drinking water and did nothing else." Iori can _barely_ "lie" that his girlfriend is "just a friend, _"_ we'd call him out on it more often if it wasn't obvious it was taking _everything he had_ to _try_ to lie about her. That and she says he's "adorable" when he's embarrassed, which is followed up with her hugging his arm and Iori blushing about as much as Takato Matsuda would in that situation.

Everyone got sort of worried about him but he asked me to stay when the others left because he wanted to tell me something...

...I left the part about _sake_ out of the story to my parents, _obviously_ , but, um, Daisuke asked me if I liked Miyako. I-I laughed and told him, "No." He asked about Hikari, Sora, Mimi and, weirdly enough, _Jaarin Li_ (Again, _he was drunk_ ). I said "no" to all of them, _especially_ the last one (Daisuke, _she's an anime character!_ That's as _one-sided_ of a relationship as one can _get._ Especially considering she's one spatial dimension less than I am...Then again, there _is_ someone out there who married a DS-dating sim character, so what do I know?). But I had to reveal the fact that, _yes_ , I was gay and seeing Daisuke. I just claimed he was "really tired" at the time from playing video games the night before without sleep.

My Dad...Well, he was a _little_ disappointed but said, _"Given what you two have gone through, I can't complain."_ I felt bad for disappointing him, I know he wanted me to get married and have "genius grandchildren" someday. He has gotten more open to the fact I'm with Daisuke over time, however, and I did remind him that we could still _adopt_ genius grandchildren for him.

Mom was more supportive, _"I'm just...happy if you are, Ken, but..."_ Save for _one detail_. " _I-I'd prefer it if you kept your door open when Daisuke visited, now, since, um..."_ She trailed off awkwardly, but I heard her let out the words _"glue face"_ in a disbelieving tone.

I thanked them for their support but had to ask they they not allude _any_ knowledge of this to Daisuke or his family. Mostly for his sake and _sanity_. After some stories about how, um, _closeted_ he is they agreed and even relented on the open door policy since it _would_ tip off Daisuke something was going on. I just wish my Dad didn't add, _"I guess it's okay, I mean, it's...Not like either of you can become pregnant or anything. Just... ...Wormmon gave us...a lot of stories about this 'game' of yours."_ I told them I didn't want to know _how much_ detail (I could probably guess). I promised we would _wait_ for... _That_...In as little detail and acknowledgement of it as possible. And Wormmon will, for _so many_ obvious reasons I'm amazed I'd even have to _allude_ to any of them, _NOT BE PRESENT!_

Again, I wasn't mad at Wormmon. He doesn't exactly know what it means for Daisuke and I to be a couple but...He's one of the few beings in the world who can say "I'm happy if you're happy" and be _completely serious_ about it. Wormmon's emotions mirror my own most of the time.

Though, the night Daisuke and I got together, um, Wormmon wasn't there since he wanted to see a movie with my parents that was playing in theaters. So, I told him to go see it with my parents since it was a romantic comedy. Wormmon _loves_ romantic comedies – It's because he likes comedies and "because people are happy when in love!" See what I mean about his attitude towards people in love? My parents happily took him with them like...Well, again, like they were taking my little brother to see a movie. My Mom carried him in her arm as he happily chanted "popcorn! Popcorn! Popcorn!" To my parents' amusement. And he got the popcorn he was so excited about, no butter and light on the salt.

It's really sad to think about, but...I _really_ wish Osamu was around to meet Wormmon. His phobia aside, I think the two would be best of friends.

A-Anyway, while they saw a movie I went to see Daisuke with some of the other Chosen Children at his apartment. It was just "the guys" and _didn't_ include Iori since Daisuke wanted to "be bad" and "party" with us over some sake while his parents and Jun were gone for the weekend...

...No-one else was really interested, so Daisuke ended up drinking the entire thing himself. It wasn't a _big_ bottle, it was enough to make it so he couldn't even _walk_ but not enough to make him really sick. I told the others to go home and I'd keep an eye on him, calling my parents when I knew the movie was long over and telling them I had to stay the night to help Daisuke "study." To be fair, he _was_ studying the effects of sake on his system. They said okay and I spent the rest of the visit more or less babysitting Daisuke in his bedroom...

...That was when things got... _Interesting_.

" _We-Well...D-Do you...like_ any _girls...? At all?"_

 _"Um, n-not really, I-I don't...think about that kind of thing. Why?"_

 _"'Cause, ah...I wanted to know. Y'know, so we don't end up fighting over a girl."_

 _"...Like Jenrya's older sister?"_ I still tease Daisuke about that to this day, if we watch Digimon Tamers together and she's on screen I'll joke that I'm "falling in love." Daisuke usually mutters something along the lines of "stupid sake."

 _"Okay, you can have her if you want."_

 _"No thanks."_

" _But, um, ya know, I don't wanna have a girl come between us or anything since you're my best friend n' all. I-I know you're not like, y'know, the kind of guy to do that and neither am I but...Y'know, I wanna make sure we're best buds forever!"_

 _"Um, ri-right. So, um, who do_ you _like?"_

 _"Huh? Me?_ Wha-Whay?"

Yes, he said "whay" I think it was a mixture of "what" and "why."

" _You asked first. Hikari, right?"_

 _"Ah, not so much any more...Ya know. Stuff...happened."_

" _Takeru?"_ I assumed he meant "she obviously likes Takeru." Daisuke, in his state, took it in an _entirely_ different way.

 _"HUH? Wha-What about Takeru?"_

 _"Well, it's kinda obvious."_

 _"IT IS?"_

 _"Y-Yeah..."_

 _"Du-Dude, n-no! It...It's not what it looks like! Okay? It is_ not _true!"_

 _"What are you—"_

" _What made you even_ think _I-I ...Me and_ Takeru... _I-I mean,_ seriously _, I-I don't like him! I-I'm not like that, Ken!"_ I had _no idea_ how to respond to that, except a mental note: Daisuke was _very_ drunk at that point. _"I-I just wanted to know if_ you _liked any girls 'cause, uh, I-I don't...I don't want anything to_ ever _come between us as friends and..."_ Daisuke started to ramble from here: He explained later the whole "girl coming between us" thing was part of a convoluted plan of his to either find out if I _liked_ one of the girls we knew or, _maybe_ , someone _not_ -so-female...

...It made more sense in his head while a medium sized bottle of sake was running through his bloodstream, obviously. It took the alcohol for him to work up the _courage_ to talk to me about it. If you knew the full extent of how much Daisuke wants his orientation to be a _complete secret_ (despite our complete failure at doing so), you'd be surprised that _so little_ sake was enough for him to (sort of) confess to me.

" _Da-Daisuke, wa-wait...I-I meant it was obvious that...Takeru liked_ Hikari _. Not...Yo-You...liking Takeru..."_

" _...Oh...We-Well, I-I don't like Takeru that way!"_

 _"Dai-kun, just...Tell me the truth: What is_ going on _right now?"_ Drunk or not, Daisuke was making absolutely _no sense!_ If he wasn't drunk, I'd have called the emergency number fearing he'd have had some kind of brain injury!

 _"Um...I just wanted to make sure we'd be best friends for life n' all."_

 _"I always thought that was certain,"_ If Daisuke can forgive _me_ for being The Digimon Kaiser, I'm _pretty sure_ our friendship is safe from anything short of one of us stabbing the other.

" _..Gr-Great!"_

" _And, um, I-I know_ we _won't...Be fighting over a_ girl _, Daisuke. A-Any girl you like is, um, not someone I'd probably be interested in."_ I figured Daisuke really was drunk enough to where his 'I don't like Takeru' rant was 'the booze talking' not 'Daisuke is insecure and has been caught _by Takeru_ staring at _Ken_.' His drunk mind told him that when _I_ mentioned Takeru, he thought Takeru told me Daisuke was _very_ distracted as he watched my soccer games a few times or that _I_ somehow thought _he_ liked Takeru (because, as he put it, _"Ya know 'cause Takeru's kinda good looking and all but not as good as you are 'cause you're the best looking guy I know and I really like that about you 'cause you're, y'know, you and you really look cool n' stuff. You're really, really, really awesome Ken-kun, that's why I like you so much and stuff!"_ He was _sober_ at that point, just...Rambling insecurely). In reality, Takeru just thought Daisuke was _really_ focused on the game and _not_ staring at _me_ the entire time, Daisuke's mind just interpreted the scenario wrong. Daisuke is the ultimate "leap before you look" type, not only in a real life situation but in the sense his mind will leap to the most insane conclusion possible (or, in some cases, _im_ possible).

" _Why not? Yo-You're not telling me you'd just let_ me _have any girl on Earth even_ if _you liked her, right?"_

 _"N-No, I'm...I'm saying that..."_

I don't know _why_ I said what I did, I guess I figured he'd forget about it once he sobered up or he'd think I was like _Iori_ when it came to girls: I'm too polite to stare or obsess. Well, okay, Iori's _still_ easing into the whole "girls lose their cooties" stage, despite having _Mariko_ at his side so often. He's still denying _any_ romantic interest in her but, ah, his expression _always_ says otherwise. Really, Takeru _loves_ teasing him about it while Miyako tends to ask him _"Iori, are you_ lying...? _"_ Which, ah, is playing dirty, I think, and why we usually _don't_ play on his sense of honesty when it comes to Mariko. Iori _NEVER_ lies unless he _has to_ , as in it's a life or death situation and he has exhausted all other options. The others told me about that time he lied to get Jyou out of class to help the others (it was during my "Kaiser" phase), so asking if he's lying about Mariko...

...While the resulting incoherent stammering _is_ kind of funny, I think his blood pressure spikes whenever Miyako does that to him. Mariko tends to give a non-commital answer for him, I think she _likes_ the fact Iori is honest to a fault. And Iori appreciates the save, going by the look of sheer _relief_ he has when she does it.

" _Sayin'...What?"_ The fact I suddenly had Daisuke's _complete_ and undivided attention (a feat that's rarely possible when he's _sober_ , let alone _drunk_ ) had me worried. As well as...

...Daisuke has _his_ insecurities: Masculinity and image being the main focus.

Me? I was afraid of, well, Osamu. His approval or disapproval over my, ah, "romantic preferences." It's why I rarely acknowledged it until that day, to the point where I _still_ have no idea what came over me to tell Daisuke all this. Especially at the "staring intently at Ken as he confesses his deep dark secret" stage.

My insecurity was...a _major_ hurdle for us at first but Daisuke was _amazingly_ understanding about it and helped as much as he could. But, despite my fear of Osamu's judgment from beyond, I told him, _"I don't really find girls...Attractive, Dai-kun."_

I looked away, scratching my head as Daisuke just _stared forward_ for a good minute or so, his face more or less a _perfectly_ blank expression: Not a single note of approval, disapproval, anger, relief, joy, fear— _Anyhing_ —Could be discerned from his face. Honestly, if he could ever channel that emotional state again he could have the world's single perfect poker face.

When he _finally_ said something, I was about ready to run off in a panic. _"So...Ya mean, you don't..._ like _girls like, um,_ Iori _doesn't like girls or...Like, um,_ Kenta _doesn't like girls?"_ Iori meaning I was a 'late bloomer' for puberty, _Kenta_ meaning...Well, _guess_. Kenta's orientation became _obvious_ as of episode ten of season two, especially with how flustered he gets around Kai sometimes. Most often when he's wearing that "open green button up shirt and swimming trunks" look he had in the movie.

Combined with how _jealous_ Hirokazu seems over how Kenta acts around Kai, I think it's official that those two _will_ become an item at some point. I really like that the producers aren't afraid to include that, the focus more on relationships between the Tamers in season two because of all the "shipping" fans online. The website had a "suggestions for season two" comment box, a lot of fans started a series of "make [X couple] official" movement and encouraged people to request their favorite pairings. Given the strong focus on character interaction in this season, I think they got the message. Takato's part of the Jen\Juri love triangle will probably be ambiguous in the end.

So, when Daisuke asked if I was 'like Iori' or 'like Kenta,' I turned away and lost all nerve to even _face_ my best friend when I realized he now suspected I was the latter of the two. Especially when he nervously said, _"'Cause, um, if it's...Kenta...Um, ya know I...Um..."_ My mind suddenly _flashed back_ to _all_ of Daisuke's "Gay Takato" rants as I realized: I had done something _incredibly_ stupid. Daisuke _hated_ Takato! He _hated_ how _GAY_ Takato was! I found myself asking when did _I_ drink any of that sake to do something so _obviously stupid!_

" _Er...Da-Daisuke, I meant that in the sense that—"_

 _"'Cause I think, um, we're_ really _good friends like, um, Hirokazu and Kenta. Like, Kenta's the_ really _smart one between them and...I-I'm more like Hirokazu, I guess. Um, you could even call me_ Daisukazu _if ya wanted."_

I summoned just enough courage to look back at Daisuke, he was still staring at me in surprise but...Something else. Not bad, I hoped, but nothing I could figure out. " _If...I wanted...?"_ At that moment, the entire world stopped making sense. Not just Daisuke, _the world_. Daisuke, the man who _constantly_ ranted about how annoyingly gay Takato was, was _comparing himself and I_ to the most _obviously gay_ characters in anime since Tomoyo first picked up a video camera on Card Captor Sakura!

" _A-And I promise, me n' Hirokazu don't shop for bread from the same spot! Ya...Ya never have to worry 'bout something like that! Ever! Really, my...er...Ya know what I mean, right?"_ Daisuke was _smiling!_ He had this huge grin on his face the likes of which I haven't seen before! _"I do_ not _buy bread from_ there _, Ken...I-It's...to-totally safe to...Er...Y-You know! I-I just...I don't shop for bread there!"_ And just when I thought he couldn't make any _less_ sense, Daisuke started to rant about places to buy _bread_.

Well, he didn't make sense until I suddenly _realized_ what he meant by "where Hirokazu buys his bread:" An episode Digimon Tamers that aired _three days_ before that very conversation. It was the _second time_ Kenta "accidentally" locked lips with Hirokazu _that season_ (third total). There was a scene that came shortly _after_ that kiss where Hirokazu admitted to raiding the Matsuda Bakery dumpster for bread to the rest of the Tamers, which lead to shocked and disgusted reactions from the others (Hirokazu argued that it _was_ wrapped in a bag, thus technically _clean_ the dumpster is mostly used for _bread_ but...Ew) _._ Kenta's reaction was like the others (maybe a _little_ more grossed out) until he got home, he was shown in front of a bathroom mirror with Hirokazu's "confession" of dumpster bread diving ( _"If you're low on cash, Jen, do what I do and raid Takato's dumpster for bread."_ ) being repeated over and over in his head as there's a brief flashback to their accidental kisses from season one, another episode earlier on (the beach episode) and then the one from that same episode...

...The scene then cuts to Kenta _repeatedly_ rinsing with mouthwash, muttering, _"Why does Hirokazu have to tell us gross things?"_

Daisuke had alluded to the fact he didn't eat food out of a dumpster and, thus, _it was safe to kiss him_. I was blindsided by this, I turned back to him and stammered in surprise while Daisuke just suddenly _hugged me_. _"Daisuke? Wha-What...What are you_ doing?" I still had my doubts, despite what he'd said and the fact he was now hugging me: I still had my doubts. There _had_ to be some other explanation for this!

 _"You're serious, right? Yo-You_ don't _like girls...Like Kenta? Y-Ya...Ya really mean that? Li-Like Kenta?_

 _"...Do you...?"_

Daisuke hesitated, tightening his hug for a brief moment and then, cautiously, replied with _"Not any more than you do."_

" _Then...I-I'm serious, Dai-kun."_

 _"So am I."_ He _tried_ to kiss me but I told him I thought we should wait until he was _sober_ and we could talk more seriously about this. He agreed and we talked the next day. He even confessed that all of his "Takato rants" were just his way of "bringing up" the topic to try to gauge the others: If anyone agreed with him in an over-the-top way (As in "violently homophobic," since Daisuke and Taichi are _already_ over-the-top on the issue) or argued to _defend_ Takato's orientation...He'd know the others' opinions, adding, _"Especially yours, dude, why didn't ya tell me?"_ I told him it wasn't something I want to advertise that much.

But he told me he actually _liked_ the way the show played into Takato having both Juri _and_ Jen having a potential crush on him (he hopes Jen wins in the end, I told him they'll _probably_ leave it ambiguous in the end, I don't think the producers will write in _two_ gay couples...And Hirokazu and Kenta still aren't officially a couple just _strongly_ implied...Especially on _Kenta's_ side). And he told me how much of a _Takato_ and Kenta (as _a couple_ ) fan he is...

...Because they remind him of _us!_ I'm serious, Daisuke is (a "more masculine," his words) Takato, naturally, and I'm _KEN_ ta. I-I appreciate the comparison since Kenta's shown to be one of the smarter Tamers.

Of the original, I think Ruki, Jen and Kenta are the smartest overall, while season two gives us _Mondo,_ who has the ego to call himself the "Sleeping Dragon" of Kai's group, right down to carrying a feather fan with him at all times. And possibly the intellect to back up such a self-proclaimed title – The guy is like, um, I-I _really_ dislike his character since he reminds me a _lot_ of my..."Alter ego" when it comes to his intelligence and how he uses it, as well as his arrogance and low tolerance for "imbeciles" and, in the case of Juri, "people who are _useless."_ Hirokazu is his _least_ favorite person among the main cast, he only puts up with Kai because Hypnos won't take him in as one of their Tamers. Though, since he insulted Juri recently, Kai violently kicked him out of Ichari so he's now "unaffiliated" and, well, out for revenge and using his intellect to do so...

...He's just _too much_ like The Digimon Kaiser for my taste, _especially_ with how he has a short temper and describes himself as "a perfect Tamer." He _is_ much nicer to Kamemon than...The Digimon Kaiser...was to Wormmon, Kamemon is treated as an equal to Mondo, Mondo says he "respects his sentience" and Kamemon _tries_ really hard to do whatever makes Mondo...happy...like Wormmon for the Digimon Kaiser, even if it's... _"Morally questionable."_ Recently, it seems like he's going to reveal the "mole" among the Hypnos Tamers in exchange for a position among them, though I have a feeling it won't work in the end.

The others...tend to avoid mentioning him in front of me when they talk about Digimon Tamers. And Daisuke always tells me, when comparing me to Kenta, " _Kenta's a helluva lot smarter than Mon-dodo."_ I appreciate that Daisuke still sees me as the intelligent one of the group with his anology, he also says the show has scenes where Takato " _totally"_ shows interest in Kenta and vice-versa.

I'm more of a fan of Takato and Jenrya, which is why I like Jenshirou-san's fics, he writes Jenkato and..

...This one _really weird_ Vamdemon-based story with...I-I dunno, he just turned him into a mix of Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin with a taste of Edward Cullen (at one point a kid throws glitter in his face and he thinks he looks pretty "all sparkly," I swear when he said "Oooh, _sparkly_..." In that fic, he sounded like a _stoned_ Homer Simpson in my head for some reason). I-I swear, if I didn't know better, one of my fellow Chosen Children wrote this just to make fun of him. I don't think it is, though, as Daisuke and I are the only gay ones and thus only shounen-ai fans...At least, among the males. Hikari does not strike me as someone who would write a story about Vamdemon, humiliating him or _not_ , especially out of respect for Tailmon. While Miyako is _genuinely terrified_ of her memories of BelialVamdemon. Also, Sora and Mimi are not writers (though Mimi _is_ a huge shounen-ai fan). Still, it is odd to see a _Vamdemon_ fic since we managed to get Vamdemon permanently banned from being featured in _anything_...

...But we do know of Chosen Children who have PicoDevimon as partners like Iori's "friend who is also a girl," Mariko, or Rinchei on Tamers. I _really_ did not like the episode where Pi-kun _finally_ evolved, even _if_ the "great peril" he evolved for was that Rinchei had a flat tire while bringing home pizza. Takeru said that, as funny as the scene was, he was a _little_ creeped out when _Devimon_ came flying over the horizon with over-the-top dramatic music blaring...Even _if_ he was carrying a spare tire in his hands. Since then, the only other time he's evolved was to protect Rinchei, Shiuchon or to fight the PicoDevimon that struck Jen with a PicoDart attack, it had evolved to its Ultimate form before Pi-kun evolved to the danger, Pi-kun (and Rinchei once Pi-kun said so) still fought to "avenge Jenrya."

We don't have confirmation on _any_ real-life PicoDevimon partners in question (which is Mariko's and only Mariko's, save for the ones we've seen flying around the city alone: We have no idea who their partners are, but they're a _somewhat_ uncommon occurrence) but Gennai did confirm to us: Vamdemon _is_ a natural evolution of Devimon (along with Satamon and some others), so...It's entirely possible there _is_ a Chosen Vamdemon out there. Even Gennai says this is unnerving (Even _Tailmon_ says that if, during a fight, a _Vamdemon_ comes out of nowhere to help us...She'd be suspicious of him _and_ his partner, but I can't blame _her_ for that...Takeru and Hikari, too) but he assures us that Vamdemon's data is _not_ being reconfigured any time soon. It's gone. For good.

That's comforting, at least.

But that odd fic aside, Jenshirou Izuda's fics are rather interesting. I assume the author is male only because the name sounds masculine, I could be wrong though, LeomonLives is female and AngelicWing is actually _male_. I really thought he was a girl until _he_ mentioned he was the younger of two _brothers_ in some notes, answering a question from a reviewer about if he was an only child or not – He writes a _lot_ of fics about Jen and Rinchei as siblings or just the Li family in general and a _lot_ of Takato or Kai with Kenta, Kai\Jen or Jen\ _Hirokazu_ , he likes the "weirder pairings," he says, and likes to focus on "the family" of main characters like Jen's siblings or Kai and Takato. My personal favorite of Angel Wing's is one where Kai visits Takato for Christmas and Takato finds out that Kai and Jen have been in a long distance relationship for some time. It's called "White Christmas" since it's Kai's first time ever seeing _snow_ in real life, Takato discovers their relationship in secret when he sees them kissing alone in his room after he told them to take a break from shoveling the sidewalk out front, saying he'd finish it. He confronts them while at Jen's apartment during a power outage that leaves them in the cold and, since the heater turns off, Jen and Kai not-so-subtly share a large comforter together (not-so) secretly holding hands under the covers. Takato is on a recliner with one heavy blanket when he finally says, _"Jen-kun, Kai-kun, we...We need to talk about something that...I saw the other day. It's really important, please don't lie."_ Jen and Kai both have a feeling of what Takato saw and get nervous that he disapproves of their relationship.

Takato accepts them but is _shocked_ to find out how long they had been together, especially when Kai mentions Jen _visiting him_ without accompanying Takato. And one instance where Takato surprised Kai with a visit while Jen was _still there_ for two more days. They _somehow_ managed to hide him but Jen says at one point, _"I was_ literally _in the closet while you were in Kai's room with him, telling him your parents surprised_ both _of you with a trip to Okinawa. Gramps knew but didn't tell me 'cause he thought it'd be_ really _funny to see the look on your face when you saw Jen there, too."_

I like White Christmas a lot since, well, the Winter setting reminds me of how Osamu said it was his favorite season. I always liked stories set in Winter. It's now my favorite time of the year because of him. Daisuke even promised that, this winter, he'll try to arrange as many "snowfall dates" as possible: Things like tea and snacks in the middle of a light snowfall and things like that. He told me that he thinks winter is romantic, so my favorite season being "so romantic" is something he wants to focus on as a way to make me happy. I was _very_ thankful when he told me this, Daisuke really tries his best to make me feel better whenever I'm upset by a Kaiser memory or, worse, guilt from the fact...Osamu is no longer here. The latter is difficult for him since he doesn't want to, as he put it, _"I-I just know...I'll say something stupid that'll either make you more upset or, worse,_ mad _...I-I...Ken-kun, you know I...I really like you and all. I-I...I think Osamu would be happy as...as long as_ you _are happy, ya know? But...I-I'm sorry, I'm ramblin' and...Not good with things like this but...I-I...I just wish I knew something to say or do...that'd make ya happy again, dude."_ I told him that he actually _did_ make me feel better, even if he thinks he's "bad at things like that." The fact he's both so sincere and careful with my feelings was enough to show me how much he cares. And I now _know_ , Osamu would be happy as long as I was happy with Daisuke.

Jenshirou-san doesn't give out any personal information, though. His notes are, at most, just a disclaimer like how he hadn't seen the second season when he wrote a fic about their partners not coming back. That's not surprising, Toei did all they could to keep that a secret until the second season showed Kai at the end of the new opening, the first three episodes have an opening theme that doesn't even _feature_ the original Tamers or Digimon as a fake out for fans who hated the first season finale and thought they lost their partners for good, the fourth to sixth episodes explain how Yamaki-san got them back and the Tamers' lives with their partners back with a side story about a Locomon that realizes on Ruki's birthday that runs amok on the Tokyo rail lines.

Other than notes like that and things related to the fic itself, Jenshirou-san writes _nothing_ about himself personally or his life. He just posts fics and that's it. A lot of his reviewers complain about how he's "too mysterious," AngelicWing is sort of the same but will post notes and answer some _slightly_ personal questions. When it came out (no pun intended) AngelicWing was male, some reviewers asked if he was gay or not, he (politely) said he didn't want to answer that question. I think he regrets revealing his gender, actually, through answering a seemingly unassuming question. A lot of reviewers ended up asking about his orientation or, in the case of flamers, just called him a fag or some other insult. He responded to one of those flames saying, _"Whether I'm gay or straight doesn't change that fact that you're an idiot."_

Daisuke was the one who showed me Jenshirou's work, actually, it was after he explained the meaning behind his rants with Taichi, including how they _also_ keep "the heat off him" if anyone suspected (back then) that he was gay, which I didn't want to worry him by asking: Exactly _what_ about him would make _anyone_ think he might be gay? I sure as hell had no idea. I don't know exactly how effective that "rant about Takato" tactic is, especially _these days._

Weirdly enough, Hikari introduced me to AngelicWing (it was after we "came out of the closet" to her, she and I spoke in private: I felt I had to explain _why_ Daisuke was literally crying at her feet over the idea she might tell Taichi-san about us) since she does collaborative works with him a lot through her FicWorld account: AngelFeather, she based it on AngelicWing's name since he's how she got into the site. Hikari tends to focus on Jenrya\Takato and Hirokazu\Kenta fics, plus the occasion Kenta\Takato fic and an on-going Takato\Kenta\Kai love triangle fic called "Complications." It's a comedy about Takato and Kai competing for Kenta's affection while both are oblivious to Juri (Kai) and Jen's (Takato) affection towards _them_.

We both really like AngelicWing's work, Hikari told me _she_ didn't know he was a guy until he finally revealed it in his notes and the two have chatted through instant messaging quite frequently.

Hikari _did_ reveal her gender early on in a response to a review, joking, " _I'm writing shounen-ai, what_ else _could I be?"_ She later told me she apologized to AngelicWing for that after he revealed his gender, he said he thought she was just joking around and that was it, he didn't take offense.

Oddly enough, for the brother of someone who _writes_ shounen-ai featuring Takato, Taichi's just as vocal about how "gay" Takato is (and just Takato, since "debating [Hirokazu and] Kenta's orientation is like debating what shade of blue the sky is," which is a quote from _the show_ by Ruki Makino, except she was only referring to _Kenta_ when she said it, like I said those two are _at least_ a "comic relief" pairing), but I don't think for the same reasons as Daisuke. Though, Daisuke just says Takato's "really gay," Taichi's convinced he has a thing for Jenrya (Personally, I think Jenrya has a thing for Takato while Takato's _oblivious_ to it or anyone _else_ in love with him: He strikes me as "romantically blind" when it comes to his admirers, and I see him more likely to be bi over gay – Daisuke votes "gay," obviously). Daisuke doesn't specify _who_ he ikes, he just says "Takato's just into _DUDES_ _IN GENERAL!"_ But we're not sure if Taichi's rants are because he disapproves or because he just likes to tease Daisuke—I doubt he's doing it for _the same reason_ as Daisuke, of course, the two only "debate" so much since they argue which of them Takato is supposedly based on.

And the day _Taichi's sister_ found out about us (and "glue face," I _really_ wish I honored Daisuke's request to keep this a secret even from _Wormmon_ but...I just couldn't bring myself to lie to Wormmon like that), you should have _seen_ how much Daisuke begged Hikari not to tell Taichi the day Wormmon showed her our secret make out spot (Well, _most recent_ secret spot since... I don't know _how_ Wormmon _finds them_ or _other Chosen Childen_ to lead _to_ them but the "secret" part doesn't last very long thanks to him). She promised and Daisuke ended up buying her a _ton_ of candy. And then promptly bought _me_ twice as much because he was afraid I'd be jealous: Daisuke, I know you will sometimes give gifts as a "thank you" to someone of _either_ gender...It's when you make out when them, I get jealous, and I know you swear I'm the "only guy you'll ever love" _and_ confessed that your "crush" on Hikari was a front to hide your orientation. Daisuke admits, he was "really insecure" up until he confessed to me. Now he's just "insecure."

...To say my boyfriend has issues is like saying "The surface of the sun is kinda warm."

Though, I'm a _little_ worried about how Taichi might react the day he finds out about us since, as I said, he and Daisuke _both_ go on some rants about how "gay" Takato is and argue who he's "really based on," Daisuke's just... _Not_ very secure in admitting to being gay so he _doesn't_ want to be suspected through Takato (Considering how _different_ he and Taichi are from Takato, though? I don't think they should be worried) I just keep quiet about the whole thing, personally, it's rather easy to just nod my head and "agree" when "the guys" are commenting on a girl...Daisuke's the one who goes into descriptive rants about how "hot" she is.

But, um, oddly enough, despite _everyone_ who's found out so far discovering us through "glue face," it took a long time for our first kiss...It was because of that "insecurity" I mentioned before: Osamu.

I was afraid of...Well...I-I know this might sound stupid but...

...I was just so afraid, I'd never told _anyone_ about my "romantic preference" before Daisuke and barely even _acknowledged it_ before. So, suddenly being with Daisuke it made me think of...Well, when I first came home and realized all that had just happened and it all began to sink in...I looked at the picture of Osamu I kept on my desk, I usually turned to it if I ever needed help figuring something out, sort of. If I ever had a problem I couldn't get past, I'd always take that picture and wonder what Osamu would do in that situation...

...That time, though? It was different. This wasn't so much a problem but...A trait. A trait of my own, a personal trait that...

...It's just..What if Osamu was watching? What would he say? What would he think? Would he be disgusted with me? Would he support me? I-I...I felt like I do whenever I have to go through his old things, I feel like he's going to walk in somehow and tell me not to touch his belongings or, in this case, tell me...I'm sick.

It...wasn't until I found out an old friend of Osamu's was gay and Osamu knew that fact. His friend had even told me, Osamu _helped him_ by being there to talk to and gave him advice. My brother _helped him_ come out to his family who, thankfully, accepted him and I _couldn't believe how_ : He told me that Osamu pretended to be gay in front of his friend's family and...They told him, " _Oh, we don't care about that sort of thing, hell, if you were dating out son his grades might improve."_ I swear, a plan _that insane_ yet effective...That's something _only_ Osamu would do in one of his "I think I'll have some _fun_ with this" moments, that was _exactly_ something he would do when he was letting out his mischievous side _._ That was a fun side of Osamu, he would always make me laugh when he "let out his dark side," as he called it, even if it was just for schoolwork. When it comes to "having fun" with something like schoolwork, his personal _favorite_ pastime was to use either Archaic Japanese or _even Chinese_ on tests, just to make it harder for _the teacher_ to grade!

In fact, he knew his teacher just _gave him_ a perfect grade on a Sangoku Era test because the entire essay was _in_ Chinese...

...A language Osamu was _far_ from fluent in, he told me in secret when I asked him _when_ he learned Chinese that he just copied random quotes and poems from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and turned it in (he had to study for another class that was more important to him so he "took the risk" with his "confuse the teacher into an A" plan). Another example would be _any_ time he got to pick a topic for class, like essays, he would pick something on-topic but _so random_ that people would like he was insane! Like picking the most obscure historical figure _possible_ for a history report. And he enjoyed every minute of it, he'd come home in a _great_ mood when he got the report back and would show our parents and I the annoyed "I'm giving you an A but to confirm all of this information, you cost me my weekend vacation"-esque notes from the teacher. Osamu put it best, _"Smart ass begins with the word_ smart _for a reason, Ken. And don't tell Mom and Dad I used that word in front of you."_

Re-Really, Osamu...He had a great sense of humor when he wanted to. And even when he "pulled a Daisuke" and _faked_ doing his homework, he could _still_ pull off a perfect grade. Granted, _Osamu_ faking a homework assignment and _Daisuke_ doing the same is _very_ different: Daisuke's version is "educated guesses" for math problems that can be proven wrong via teacher's edition, Osamu's was "use a calculator and pretend I solved it without one." Or, like the Chinese example, fake something the teacher cannot possibly _verify._ Though, that one came back to haunt him because when Mom and Dad got the report back in the mail they were _so proud_ of Osamu for "learning another language" that they took us to a Chinese restaurant that had a Chinese staff that _spoke_ the language and wanted Osamu to _order everything in Chinese..._

 _..._ And Osamu _STILL_ managed to cover himself! I already knew Osamu faked the report, I didn't say anything at the time but I was _really_ afraid Osamu would get in trouble.

Instead?

 _"Our son speaks, Chinese. Osamu-chan, please order for us."_

 _"You speak Chinese?_ Ni shou Zhongwen ma?" I _believe_ the latter is what the man said, I learned a little bit of Mandarin from some websites that translated Jenrya's Mandarin for fans. I have to say, when Jenrya is very stressed he tends to curse in Chinese a _lot_.

 _"Oh, no, I am_ so _sorry. Mom, Dad, he speaks_ Mandarin Chinese. _I learned Cantonese. Sorry, sir."_

 _"Oh, no problem. The owner speaks Cantonese, too, but is unavailable."_

 _"Too bad, it's a_ beautiful _language."_ Osamu told me later that he was _really_ lucky that worked, otherwise he _knew_ he'd have been in a lot of trouble.

I told our parents the true story years later, shortly after they met Wormmon. Mom and Dad, to my surprise, just looked to each other in shock and expressed amazement in how Osamu could think on his feet so well. We all ended up laughing by the end of it, taking the "true story" as even _greater_ proof of Osamu's intellect (or, at least, street smarts) than the original story.

But for his friend? Osamu's insane plan _worked_ for him! His friend told his parents the truth in less than a week after hearing they wouldn't care, the only disappointment was that Osamu was _faking it!_ They actually hoped the two would be an item! After hearing that, I don't know if Osamu was the world's greatest con artist or just _insanely lucky!_

I found him by chance, we passed by each other in a bookstore and he asked if I was "Osamu's little brother," we had lunch together and he told me the whole story. I was still afraid to tell him about myself at first but hearing how much my brother did to help him? ...I was proud of Osamu and _relieved._ He started it with, "Um, your brother...Did me the biggest favor of my life but...I-If this bugs you, I'll shut up, okay?"

The conversation ended with me in tears, thanking him and saying, _"You just helped me so much, as much as Osamu helped you."_

He...got what I was implying, especially with how emotional I was and just said, _"Good luck, Ken...And...Osamu'd be proud of you, I know it. He'd talk about you a_ lot _when we hang out before, saying you were a great little brother."_ He meant that, he said, Osamu really did talk about me a lot with his friends, mostly things like how I'd beat him with soap bubbles as an example of how "gentle" I was or how I was the one in the house who'd _beg_ our Dad not to _kill_ whatever bug Osamu freaked out about. Except in Osamu's version _I_ was the one scared of bugs – His friend didn't know Osamu was _terrified_ of them until I mentioned it, he said, _"So that's why he ducked for cover that time a_ moth _dive bombed his head..."_ Ugh, Osamu _hated moths_ , especially the big ones with _fur_ on them, just _look_ at a close up of those things: He got _me_ to fear them as a little kid through that. I _still_ remember how unnerved he'd get whenever a book had a close up of those _really_ hairy ones, or the _giant onces_ that gave Osamu nightmares. I know it _sounds_ stupid to be afraid of a _moth_ of all things (And Osamu came home _bright red_ the time he _ducked_ from a _butterfly_ in front of his PE class – They didn't let him live that one down for the rest of the school year. Osamu tried to claim it just "startled him" but...You know fourth graders) but, well, _LOOK AT THOSE THINGS UP CLOSE!_ I will defend Osamu's view on this for the rest of my life: Moths look incredibly _creepy_ up close. Or, as he put it, _"They're the winged messengers of_ SATAN HIMSELF! _No merficful deity would create such creepy things, Ken!_ NONE!"

Most of what Osamu said in general was just..How nice I was for a little kid. I-I couldn't believe it, I never really spoke to _any_ of Osamu's friends before so...I never knew what he'd say about me to them. Before that talk, I always assumed he never really mentioned me or, if he did, it wasn't much. I was so wrong, I even felt bad for being so wrong. The day I found out Osamu's real feelings on my preference was one of the best days of my life, I was so happy and relieved to know that Osamu would likely have been happy for me! Or, given some of the questions he asked his friend, he'd use me as a means to _study_ homosexuality. And in all honestly, I would have been honored to be the topic of one of his research papers.

That was also the day I gave Daisuke the affection I owed him. I apologized for my hesitation but, in one of his rare moments, Daisuke just said, _"I understand, dude"_ and kissed me for the first time. That...then led to the "glue face tradition," in which our secret make out spots are _constantly_ compromised. The first was Wormmon (Who knew but didn't get what "kissing" was and, thus, began his term for it: Playing glue face), then Takeru and Iori (the first time), then Yamato and Sora (the first time), then Hikari (the first ti—You get the idea. _She_ promised she _wouldn't_ tell Taichi, Daisuke was, as I said, literally on his hands and knees _begging her_ to keep it a secret from Taichi), then Mimi (probably _the worst_ reaction, and I say this because she's a _rabid shounen-ai fangirl!_ Daisuke begged on his hands and knees again...For her to stop ranting about how _cute_ we are together _AT FULL VOLUME!_ I won't lie: I joined in that time when it came to begging. I didn't know shounen-ai fangirls really _did_ scream something akin to " _SQUEE!"_ when watching "cute males" kiss) and the _seeond_ most recent to find out: Jyou Kido.

Jyou's reaction was interesting, I suppose. He was completely speechless at first but not because of any homophobia, he just said, "Ken...I had _no idea_ you were gay!" Daisuke, of course, gave the _very_ annoyed response of "What about _me_ , Kido-kun?" ...Jyou's poker face failed him miserably as he just let out a long "Uuuuuuuuh..." Daisuke grilled him on _that_ topic for almost an hour...

...The first question Daisuke asked was "What makes you think _I'm_ gay? Name _ONE_ gay thing about me! Right now!" _..._ I would assume falling out of a broom closet while kissing _me_ would be a clue, Daisuke. It turned into a "bad cop, sarcastic cop" interrogation (Daisuke being the former, me being the uninterested latter) as to _what_ "tipped off" Jyou to Daisuke's orientation.

We never _really_ got a clear answer outside of a joking "gaydar."

But the most shocking (and recent) of all our friends to discover our relationship is, out of everyone we know...

 _...V-MON!_

He didn't know. I had to ask V-mon if he was _SERIOUS_ when he asked Daisuke why he and I were "putting our mouths together" like that! At first, I thought it was just because he, like Wormmon, didn't know _what_ making out was (thankfully, he didn't think it was a _game_ we play _exclusively_ with each other, I don't think I can handle _two_ partners asking if _they_ can play it, too... _Ugh!_ I'd tell Wormmon how _wrong_ his questions are but...I'm afraid he might take it the wrong way if I don't word it _juuust right_ ) but...When I began to say "Daisuke and I are—MMPH!" Daisuke quickly covered my mouth in a panic, I just glanced over to him as he spoke.

"—Giving each other CPR! Ya know, that...lifesaving thing on TV! We're practicing to save lives, V-mon!" I realized...

...DAISUKE NEVER TOLD V-MON WE WERE GOING OUT! HIS OWN PARTNER DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE DATING! V-mon is the _most recent_ to stumble upon us in a compromising position (making out on Daisuke's bed) while we were "home alone," our partners were watching TV in the other room and V-mon wanted to ask Daisuke for more snacks and forgot to knock.

Daisuke, _everyone_ pretty much _knows_ about us at this point...I-I...I'd come out to the others but, well, Daisuke _doesn't_ want to. I'll never forget when Iori and Takeru, um, "discovered" us...

" _...Ke-Ken? Daisuke-kun...W-We-Were you two...?"_ Takeru was, of course, stunned. Especially given Daisuke's "history" with him and Hikari.

" _..._ Kissing _just now...?"_ Iori's expression, I admit, was a little funny. I _think_ we're the first (and only) gay couple he knows.

" _Er...! Takeru-kun! I-Iori! This...This isn't what it looks like! Ken...He had an asthma attack! I was giving him...Vertical CPR!"_ According to Daisuke, I've gone my entire life not knowing I had a severe form of asthma that requires _constant_ "vertical CPR."

" _...Vertical CPR?"_ Takeru asked that, Iori just...um...I've _never_ seen such a shocked look on his face before. He's not homophobic but he is _just_ getting past that "girls have cooties" age, like I said, and is still getting used to having a girlfriend. The two play Digimon Cards together all the time, too, and give each other tips.

Iori is _obsessed_ with the Digimon card game. He and Armadimon have even tried "Card Slashing" like in Digimon Tamers. It didn't work, obviously, but we are all _kind of_ hoping it would. He "slashed" it in the sense he ran it along the front of his D-3's screen in various ways, even mimicing a Tamers-esque "CAAARD SLASH!"

" _Yeah, um...Its a thing. Really!"_ _I_ was the one who said that, but my tone and facial expression (which Daisuke failed to notice in his panic, thankfully) said: "Yes, we're gay, we were making out in the gym storage closet, please don't tell anyone except the other dozen or so Chosen Children who know."

Actually, V-mon is the only one who bought the "Vertical CPR" excuse. I wish I was kidding when I said Daisuke used that almost every single time we've been discovered but...I then remember who I'm going out with: Daisuke "Falling In and Out of the Closet" Motomiya. And, yes, that "every single time" includes _Jyou Kido_ , our resident _med student_. Jyou played along for Daisuke's sake, saying, _"Oh, yeah, it's...used in_ very _rare situations, I know. I-I had to practice that on the...Vertical CPR dummy last...week-day...ish."_

I said he played along, I didn't say he played along _very well!_

Of course, even though I wouldn't mind telling the others, I know how much Daisuke values the _illusion_ of being straight and his image as being masculine (the latter of which is _still_ in tact, the former is the one that _really is_ an illusion at this point: Taichi and a few others are the only ones left in the dark and I wonder if they're just not _saying anything_ for Daisuke's s sake). When it comes to telling people, we're taking it one step at a time, The other Chosen Children seem to accept our orientation, at least. If _anyone_ takes issue with it, it's _DAISUKE!_ But...Something about it just makes me like him more, I guess it's the fact it's hard not to find it a _little_ cute and hysterical the lengths he'll go to when it comes to excuses as to _why_ we were in a closet of some kind, arms around each other, lips locked (as _Hikari_ put it) _"passionately!"_

...That was when Wormmon managed to embarrass both of us by adding, _"Daisuke-san's_ really _good at glue face, Hikari-san! Ken-chan's ALWAYS out of breath when they're done playing!"_ ...I _need_ to figure out how to have a talk with Wormmon about that, I _really_ do. What's worse is he said that to _my parents_ , too, when he told them about the game. _That_ was a level of embarrassment I never knew existed.

First, though, I need to explain what this email is to Wormmon, "Oh, no, that's...That's just a new story on a website I like to read," It's really amazing how little _Digital_ creatures know about computers and such. Gomamon's obsession with "the box of tiny people" is the crowning example and _very_ frustrating when attempting to explain how said box _works_ to him. It's something I don't think even _Osamu_ could accomplish and he once _tried_ to build his own TV a little after he built his own radio from spare parts and a "how things work" book. I'm _pretty sure_ my parents still have the five portable TVs he dug out of the dump to "dissect" in storage somewhere, Osamu wanted his own portable TV with headphones for the library. He managed to get one to work with sound but picture was another story since he could never find two relatively in tact TVs of the same make and model when he went "shopping" at the local junk yard.

Osamu _loved_ doing things like that, trying to build his own electronics or just taking things apart. He was like one of those genius kids on TV who could turn a toaster into a time machine (something Osamu had wanted to build since he first saw Back To The Future). Mom and Dad always tell me how, before I was born, Osamu was _constantly_ taking things apart and trying to reassemble them. The vacuum cleaner was a victim of this (Mom says when she found him taking it apart, he told her he was _dissecting it_ – He wasn't even _in school_ at that point). About the time he started reading was when he learned how to build his own things, or at least fix the ones he took apart. Osamu's first "advanced" form of reading, after the basic books Mom and Dad read to him as a little kid, was the manuals for various pieces of electronic equipment. Before his old PC broke a couple years ago, I would sometimes look through the _hundreds_ "how to build" websites he had favorited, all sorted by type, device and alphabetically in his favrorite places index. The largest was his "general devices" folder that had websites that covered all kinds of "how things work" topics, I moved a few of them to _my_ PC's favorite places folder because I thought they were interesting.

I actually still have Osamu's radio: It's from a kid's "How things work" book, from a series of science books that each cover a different topic. It really works, Daisuke actually asks if we can use it to listen to music in my room a lot. It's not very loud, of course, with speakers made of magnets, electrical tape and paper plates but good enough. He likes a lot of my stories about Osamu and the things he'd attempt to build and stuff. I think, if he was still with us, he'd be an inventor of some kind. I still have his old toolbox under my bed.

"Oooh," Wormmon nods. "Did Daisuke write it? It's about goggles!"

"No, it's not by Daisuke," Daisuke... _tried_ writing a Gundam slash fic once...

...Now I see why he always asks for my help when it comes to grammar and Kanji, let's just say. Thank the Gods for furigana, otherwise he'd never be able to read manga. I mean, there's _some_ commonly misspelled Kanji and the occasional mistaken homonym...

...Daisuke just takes it to the logical extreme. Like the email he sent to me saying "Dear Koi-Fish-Man Sword-kun." It was when we first started to speak after The Digimon Kaiser was defeated, he said he forgot the Kanji for my name and improvised the Kanji for "Ichijouji Ken." When I told him my name was spelled with the Kanji for "intelligent" he was surprised in the sense that he _almost_ used that Kanji but thought, "Nah, it's gotta be a coincidence" and then chose "sword."

I continue, opening the email and giving it a quick glance. "It's by Jenshirou Izuda, a writer online." I explain. "I don't know that person in real life, though."

Wormmon gives another nod. "Can I read the story, too?" Oh, _crap_ , I was sort of hoping Wormmon wouldn't ask that but...

...I just can't say "no" to my "little brother."

"Um, su-sure...Just...don't tell my parents or friends about it, okay? It's a secret story." Mostly because I don't want Wormmon telling people I read shounen-ai the same way he talks about glue face...Granted, it's not a hard assumption to make when it comes to those who know about us playing _a_ _certain_ " _game"_ through Wormmon...

...Like I said, I _need_ to figure out a way to convey everything _wrong_ with that question to Wormmon sometime _soon_. It's just from his, well, natural innocence when it comes to things like this (I don't even think he realizes there's any sort of stigma sometimes attached to gay relationships, he just said, _"If Daisuke-san makes Ken-chan happy, then I'm happy, too!"_ when he found us "playing glue face" the first time and we explained what "dating" meant in detail). It's bad enough how _HIKARI_ found out about us (Especially for Daisuke, I was letting him feign interest in her, still, since he's so closeted...But now that she knows, he feels the illusion is lost – Hikari just found it hysterical to where Daisuke also begged her to _stop laughing_ for the first couple minutes before realizing that _Taichi_ could find out about us), especially how we were leaning against the closet door and, well, we went from upright and our lips together to by Hikari's feet with our foreheads bumping together in an insistant...

...This makes me wonder: _Why_ _does_ Daisuke love making out in _closets_ so much? Is it the privacy we _should_ have or is it possible it's a subconscious metaphor for how _deep_ in the closet Daisuke is? Or both?

...Probably both. Whatever, it's 6:30 in the morning and I just wanna read this new fic from Izuda-san...

...Y'know, now that I think about it...There's something _familiar_ about that pen name.

... _Nah..._

Ha ha, I mean, what are the odds? Ha ha ha! I-I might...throw this out to Daisuke at some point as a joke, though. Besides, Koushirou is _clueless_ about Digimon Tamers, he doesn't even know what a card slash is.

Maybe I'll throw it out to Koushirou as a joke, too, when _he_ stumbles upon us in a closet in the next week or so at the rate _we're_ going.

"Ken-chan..." Wormmon looks up at me after we've read about halfway into the fic.

"Yeah?" I look down at Wormmon. I _can't_ believe I'm reading a slash fic with my partner...

"Jenrya and Takato sound as happy as you and Daisuke!"

"Thanks, Wormmon," I laugh a little, going back to the fic. Wormmon always knows how to make me smile.

* * *

Izumi Koushirou

* * *

I groggily stumble to my computer, it's early in the morning. I woke up a little before sunrise but couldn't get back to sleep.

Time to check my email to see if I got any responses to Heart Shaped Goggles...

...Huh, already got one! Great! Hopefully it won't be another one of those "OMG u sux cuz its gay" flamers. I get a few of those now and then. Actually, I showed a few of those to Taichi, he pointed out the ones he thought were closet cases. Namely the one that actually _read_ all of my (obviously) slash fics and flamed each one (even commenting on _plot details_ ). I mean, um, if you hate slash _that much_...

...Nope, good review from—What...the...?

"...Koushirou-han, are you okay?" Tentomon speaks up, looking up to me from his Tento-bed. "...It's not the game is it?"

"N-No, haven't touched it in a while, I swear!" I say, quickly. I really _haven't_. "I-It's just...an email I got..."

 _Subject: Reader Response To Heart Shaped Goggles_

 _From: FanFicWorld_

 _A GUEST reader has responded to your Fan Fiction: Heart Shaped Goggles._

 _Reader: J. Kido (Guest)_

 _This fic is really good, Izuda-san. Takato's devotion to Jenrya reminds me of a pair of friends who I recently found out were gay. They literally FELL out of the closet but, well, it's obvious they were very close but I didn't think both of them were gay (just one). How panicky Jenrya got as he confessed reminded me of a more subtle version of that friend. Ha ha ha, I probably shouldn't find it so funny but it's hard not to laugh at the memory._

 _Thanks for posting this!_

 _This is an automated message, do not reply to this email. This message is a guest response so there is no reply link._

 _Signed,_

 _FanFicWorld Staff_

...No. Possible. Way.

On the plus side: Taichi is _so_ paying for our next date, now! HA HA HA!

~Owari~

* * *

Ori's Notes:

Sorry for the massive disappearance on everyone, Taiki got swamped with college and work so he had to more or less abandon the account without notice. He's still really busy so this is the last fic he's going to be a part of. I'll let him say his goodbyes in his notes.

As for me...Well, I got my hip replaced _again_ because they messed up the replacement joint (not really the doctor's fault, though, my pelvis was a helluva lot more messed up than they realized, the revision was REALLY complex compared to the first one) and had both knees replaced. Still gotta use a cane but it's mostly for balance.

I also stopped writing for a while, I kept giving Taiki excuses for it since, well, I was sort of pissed: My RA went nuts since it couldn't go after my knees any more so it though, "Wait, _the wrists! His wrists are unprotected! MWA HA HA HA HA!"_ So, yeah, for about a year I could barely type or do much with my hands. That changed since I'm on a new RA med that's, ah, let's just say it's a form of _chemotherapy_ as well so you can guess how powerful it is. Lemme put it this way, it dropped my immune system so much after my first dose that I _got shingles!_ And if you _haven't_ had shingles (AKA Chicken Pox II: _THE REVENGE!_ ), know this: It _SUCKS!_ Like, seriously, I'd take my worst RA flare up _EVER_ for a month over shingles.

On the plus side, though, since it's chemo I like to think I'm pre-treating any future forms of cancer I might get.

We planned to post this a _lot_ sooner but, well, my Mother passed away earlier this year and for a long time I...Let's just say I didn't feel like it. It's been kind of a crappy year for me.

At the very least, I _finally_ came out to my parents before she passed, about a year after my hip broke. I'm glad I managed to do that.

What does it mean when your mother's reaction to "Mom, I'm gay" is "cool?" Seriously, she...thought it was cool!

My Dad is supportive, he sorta guessed because of how I acted after I got out of the hospital and was recovering at home. I hallucinated coming out to him during the whole thing (I thought I was dying at some point in the start of it all and said "Dad...I...I need to tell you this...I'm gay! I'm sorry..." Etc. Those coma-inducing meds do _not_ **** around, my mind was kinda messed up for a while) and wasn't sure if it really happened or not. Probably didn't since, looking back, it was en route to the hospital, which I wasn't exactly conscious for, and in the back of a car he hasn't owned since I was in elementary school...I think I just gave two paramedics a _REALLY_ awkward ambulance ride instead. He figured it out from the, ah, _not so subtle_ way (Think _Takato_ level subtlety) I kept asking if I said anything "weird or out of character" while I was under heavy medication. He's cool with it, though, that's what counts!

I'm doing better now. My wrists are (kinda) working again, my immune system is mostly back to normal. I'm not gonna promise a sudden barrage of fics like before, especially since I'm working on getting my life back together after all the surgeries so another part of what kept Taiki and I from posting this was just the two of us finding _time_ to post this thing.

Craptastic life notes aside, here's the fic notes:

(WARNING: Moderate Digimon Tri and Universe spoilers ahead!)

First off, Taiki and I _constantly_ joked about this fic's potential existence for one reason: It's a fic that's mentioned _only_ by name but, weirdly enough, I've had people mention in reviews (Not just for the prequel but in _other fics!_ ) and private messages that they actually wanted to _see_ this fic for real. We thought that was kinda weird since, well, it's just a random title assigned to a fic that only serves as a torture device—I mean...Plot device for Koushirou being suspected by his parents. But I then thought, "What the hell?" And started to write it as if it really _was_ written by Koushirou.

Taiki helped with differentiating Koushirou's writing style from my own for his fic while I decided to switch POVs throughout the events of Hidden Behind the Computer. I'd say this is the closest we've come to doing a full on collaboration together so I thought it should be how we say goodbye to him. Thank you, Taiki, for all you've done! If not for your endless begging for slash fic after slash fic after _freakin' slash fic_ I wouldn't have had so much fun writing this stuff. You shall be missed and I wish you good luck with your future.

And, no, I'm not taking Tri into account for this fic should I continue it further. I like Tri but...Eh, I don't like how it glosses over 02's "million Chosen Children cavalry" scene with BelialVamdemon.

Also, are the 02 kids _dead_ or something? Why has _no-one_ mentioned them? Like, not _once_ has Takeru or anyone else said, "Huh, I haven't heard from my Jogress partner in a while, think he's okay?" I just hope Daisuke managed to confess his love for Ken before the end.

"Ken, if this is the end then, well, I want you to know: _I LOVE YOU!"_

"Well, _thank you,_ Daisuke, for making my last few minutes on this Earth socially awkward."

"...Sorry...Wanna make out?"

"Eh, why not?"

Sorry, couldn't help the Simpsons reference. Smithers _rules!_

And I've said it before, I'll say it again: Daisuke and Ken are Hirokazu and Kenta's predecessors in the ambiguously gay characters department! I bet you they picked the name _KEN_ ta as a reference to this! Does that mean Ken is the gay(er) one between the two like Kenta is? Seriously, Kenta's _obviously_ gay in Tamers!

Anyway, half the cast suddenly missing and Daisuke and Ken's forbidden love aside, Digimon appear on Earth (as in _ALL OVER THE WORLD)_ _twice_ and people suddenly get partners all over the place at the end of 02: _WHY DO PEOPLE THINK THESE THINGS DON'T EXIST?_ I wanna know how they explained the mysterious aurora into another dimension, the Digimon invading Earth _REPEATEDLY_ AND the whole "News at 11: Tens of thousands of kids around the world suddenly have magic monster friends that popped out of their computers alongside strange little Tamagochi-like devices! And now for the weather!" Thing that _HAD_ to make the news somewhere! This wasn't just localized to Japan, this was _worldwide!_ Repeatedly! In Adventure they even show Gorimon (The Gorilla-like mon with an arm laser cannon) _climbing the Empire State building!_ What? Did they just claim King Kong decided to make a comeback? I mean, Japan can write off monster attacks pretty easily (what with their weekly Godzilla drills and all) but _The United States? Mexico?_ _AUSTRALIA? **FRANCE?**_ I want answers here, Tri! The French haven't had a giant monster attack since...EVER!

Oh, and not to mention the giant demon destroying half of Odaiba and the Demonic army attacking the same area a few years later, too. If they think they can pass that off as a bunch of weather balloons or mass hysteria then 02's universe is populated by idiots! Did MIB put the world-wide neuralizer to use? If you watched the cartoon like I did, you know they've got one...

Seriously, I don't even think Yamaki and Satsuma _combined_ could cover all that up! Did they hire the Cigarette Smoking Man or something? I mean, he's _good_ but not _that good_. And I think he's too busy dealing with Mulder, anyway. I wonder if he's the one who gave Yamaki that lighter with a little note saying "Best of luck hiding extradimensional lifeforms from the public. Smoke in good health, my friend! -C.S.M PS: The truth is out there."

Also, Part II of Tri has probably the most shocking reference to American culture I've _ever seen_ in Digimon...A _Hooters reference!_

That's right, people, _Hooters!_ Tri has officially crossed the weirdness threshold, the 02 epilogue is hereby declared _perfectly sane!_

Seriously, Mimi's "class cafe" idea was described as follows: "It's a popular restaurant in America, girls dress up like cheerleaders and serve food! It's called DATERS!" ...All that scene was missing was an Owl mascot _._ Too bad Ikuto wasn't around, Falcomon'd be _perfect_ advertisement for her!

I wonder if they served hot wings...Great, now I'm hungry.

I almost _wish_ I could make that up...Then again, there's Cyber Sleuth including both gay innuendo _and_ an NPC who flat out _tells_ the main character he's gay after a side mission. This is not the Digimon I grew up with... _And I love it!_ I _really_ hope Tamers gets a sequel that makes Hirokazu and Kenta official, now. Toei, _GET ON THE TAMERS SEQUEL!_

Oh and on the topic of Digimon and America: Was that _OBAMA_ in the GPS episode of Universe?

I'm liking Tri so far but I really hope their explanation for the above is sufficient.

Digimon Universe is cool, too! Though, the name...Damn it, why is that title so familiar? I feel like I've heard it somewhere before, like, I dunno, a _game_ of some kind. Like an MMO but there _aren't_ any official Digimon MMOs by that name, are there? Strange, really, really strange. Anyone else ever hear the name "Digimon Universe" before? I've _gotta_ be losing my mind here!

[ **EDITOR'S NOTE:** Ori, the fact that is your THIRD Digimon-related "prediction" to come true is quit astounding. With that in mind, I'm actually holding out some hope for that joke about Obama's third term after he thwarts an alien invasion you made in Retrieve The Xros Loader.

Honestly, people, he guessed that Xros Wars would get a second season in one fic, that same fic ended up mirroring the second season finale and now a new Digimon series is named after the MMORPG Lianjie Li creates in Mirai No Kodomo. Ori, is it possible you are psychic but only in relation to Digimon? Please tell me this means you're right about a Tamers sequel with a romantic confession of love between Hirokazu and Kenta, too! -Taiki Matsuki]

The plot points for Tamers' second season came from Taiki and I either joking around or, when I started writing this, talking about where Tamers could go after its first season. I picked a new evil challenging the Four Gods and "more intense Wild Ones" for use in this fic.

For what happens to Takato with the Hangyoumon (Divermon): This is actually based on a _REALLY_ hard to find promo for Digimon Tamers' fifth movie. It's a promo that's tied in with the Motto Ojamajo Doremi and Kinnikuman Nisei movie previews that uses a few scenes that _don't_ appear in the fifth movie. One is the Tamers in front of the main villain in that outer space zone he faces down Omegamon in during the opening, another with Kai and Takato swimming underwater behind Guilmon (the animation for this scene looks _really_ different from what's used in the movie) and, a third, of an underwater Digimon that appears to be attacking Jen while he's scuba diving with Terriermon next to him. It's a shot of Jen reacting in surprise with Terriermon floating next to him after the Digimon does some kind of underwater attack.

I've tried _REALLY_ hard to find a decent quality clip of this promo so you guys could do a search for it on youtube but I've only found _two_ : One is part of a Digimon Tamers commercial series that's better quality _but_ there's an ad for AiM's Moving On CD cover that appears over the scene with Jen so can't see him. The other is a _really_ low quality clip you can find by searching "Japanese Gaming Commercials Digimon" on youtube (it's near the end of a long series of Digimon video game commercials) that has the full promo with Ojamajo and Kinnikuman's promos included. I spent so much time trying to find it again that I'm saying this: If _you_ find a high\decent quality clip of this promo (aside from the two videos I just mentioned) _PLEASE_ send me the link and in exchange _I will make you my new GOD!_

Seriously, it's _impossible_ to find a good quality clip (the regular promo either cuts out this scene or just shows profiles of the main Tamers and pretty much just says in text "Yeah! There's gonna be a Tamers movie! Check your local theaters for more info! We'd give you a preview but we're feeling lazy right now! Nyah, nyah!") and I wasted a _lot_ of time trying to find a good one to give a search term for in this fic as proof I'm not just torturing Takato as usual like Taiki _always_ accuses me of – He knows I'm mean to my favorite characters, right up to trying to kill them – Osamu's the _one_ exception here since I've made him _live_ twice, but always with a limp and a cane.

Taiki tried to find the promo a couple times, too, and failed to yield any results. Unlike me, he tried doing his searches in Spanish\German in case a fan of those dubs uploaded a video. I stuck to English and Japanese search terms and looked through a ton of Doremi and Kinikkuman promos, too. No luck.

The clip in the commercial collection isn't _too_ bad quality but some it is really choppy and blurred to where I wish I still had the copy I downloaded _years_ ago but lost when the computer I had it on crashed (The site I got it from: Anime Intro Archive shut down _years_ ago). Part of this search was me trying to figure out if it was _real_ or not since, when I first thought back to that scene for this fic, I couldn't _find_ the preview at first until Taiki got in on the search when I told him about it. I was worried I dreamed up the stupid thing.

I think the promo was underused because of all the footage _not_ included in the movie, it was probably just promo scenes made just for that trailer. It still has a couple scenes from the movie like Kai and Takato's close ups as they stare at Minami (at Kai's place) and Minami escaping that Digimon on a jet ski and some of the night attack at Kai's place (I think, it might just be the same Digimon from the scene, different setting: I don't remember one of the mons crushing a _speed boat_ outside of Kai's place, but I don't know the movie in that much detail so I could be wrong). Some promo artwork is the same, one that sticks out in my mind is a picture of Takato diving with Guilmon and what _kinda_ looks like Kai is near the surface with a spear. His skin tone is _much_ lighter (like Takato's) and so is his hair, he looks more like _Ryou_ than Kai Urazoe.

Anyway, the "Tamers Season Two" stuff...Eh, I did this mostly for fun since Koushirou mentions in HBtC that Tamers was about to go into its _third_ season and that Hirokazu and Kenta were more or less canon due to the "accidental kiss" running gag so I decided to elaborate and go into more detail on what the other Chosen Children are doing\think of the "Digimon Franchise" in their verse. Like the following:

-Iori being obsessed with the card game (I can kinda see this, I dunno why but I see Iori being a huge card game fan). His girlfriend having a PicoDevimon was mostly something I added for drama if I ever expand this series and include her (I imagine Takeru and Hikari would _not_ trust him and Iori would feel bad for trying to hide his girlfriend's partner from everyone) but I make no promises on continuing this series.

If I lived in _any_ Digimon universe and could get a partner I'd want a PicoDevimon. He'll always be my first pick for partner in Digimon World 2. And I _always_ get a PicoDevimon if he's an option in a Digimon game, like Dawn\Dusk (I wanna say he's Dusk exclusive) or Cyber Sleuth (AKA Best. Digimon. Game. EVER!). The whole reason I even _own_ a Vita is because of Cyber Sleuth (that and I needed a new handheld game for the FIVE HOUR IV infusions I'm getting for my RA, now)! I'm glad I got it when I did, I _barely_ managed to get the first-month DLC for the game.

-Daisuke's image song being something he wrote for Yamato's band and becoming a Tamers insert song. Let's face it, Yamato's a CC, he has a band why not include one of his songs in the show? And I could see Daisuke getting super excited when he finds out that the "awesome main character based on him" was going to wear goggles, too. I kinda love making Daisuke "hate" Takato because he was disappointed in their pick for a Goggle Boy. Plus he made fun of him a _lot_ in The Meeting of the Goggle Boys, so it was easy to picture him not liking his character that much (or, at least, _pretending_ to).

-Various Adventure characters' favorite characters\pairings\episodes being referenced and talked about. I'm basing some of it on the old days on FFN where Digimon pairing "wars" got _really_ intense and slash fics were flamed _endlessly._ I got 300+ on my old account _,_ two flamers that stick out are a guy whose flames were so offensive people _reviewed my fics to flame him!_ I'm not kidding!

Another who flamed every slash fic on the site went by the name 'kill the queers' (Again, I'm _not_ kidding, he gave up around the time the first season ended) who, honestly, I am 100% certain was one of those mythical gay homophobe closet cases due to his flame basically saying "gays are gross but, um, it's, uh, it's _totally cool_ if you, like, make out with a guy but then make out with a girl after! They cancel each other out! But only making out with guys is _sick!_ You gotta make out with a girl, too! That way you're not _completely_ gay!" (Paraphrased in a _much_ politer and more awkward\closeted way).

-Mentioning episodes in relevance to their lives or real life events like banning Vamdemon from the show: Let's face it, that _would_ be in pretty bad taste if he had _fans_ in "real life" – But since I like Vamdemon and the PicoDevimon line I added the fact that there _are_ chosen PicoDevimon and gave one to Lianjie since he's my favorite No-Line Wonder from Tamers – I can see him acting like this with a partner. Or Daisuke telling Ken his lips are clean because he doesn't dumpster dive for bread in an attempt to "be romantic."

Also, admit it, you could _so_ see the Kenta rinsing his mouth out scene he described!

Plus if I _didn't_ add detail I think the fic-within-a-fic would've been harder to follow. I didn't go too much into the new characters outside of Kai, Lianjie (because he _deserves_ to be the "leading hero" his name describes him as! No, really, Lianjie's name means "leading hero") and "Mondo." Mondo's a last minute addition, I wanted to cover _one_ of the "new Tamers" so I picked a cold, calculating tactician (my _favorite_ kinda character) that Ken wouldn't like due to "Kaiser Guilt" because the character reminds him of the Kaiser and the way he mocks Leomon's death ("I wish Osamu was gone!"). _That'd_ mess with him, I think. And piss off Iori pretty good, too.

I picked the name Mondo because it sounds like the kind of name a character from a tropical place like Okinawa would get. And I kinda like the name.

For Lianjie and Pi-kun: I know Digimon _never_ get proper names so I decided to play with this for Kai and Lianjie, Kai calls his partner Seadramon in all forms despite the different names while Lianjie gives a nickname to his partner. This is partially to show off that they're both not very knowledgeable about Digimon _and_ part of their character: Lianjie's more interested in a Digi-Buddy than a serious partner while Kai probably doesn't care either way as long as he has his partner. And I always wanted to see a character who was close to their partner in the sense they use an honorific (-kun, -san, -chan, etc.) instead of "-mon" at the end of their name. Koushirou's mother does this with Tentomon in Adventure (Tento-san). This finally does happen in Tri, actually, with Mei and her partner, too, so I'm hoping it's played with more in Digimon Universe or future seasons.

Hirokazu and Kenta as a couple: I just know, if Tamers _did_ go on for more than one season this probably _would_ be a running gag. The entire reason those two are even _Tamers_ (and in Kenta's case: More than a background character) is because their VAs worked off of each other so well that Chiaki Konaka decided to include them as regulars _and_ give them partners (the last part being, more or less, last minute for the show). Seriously, try to picture Tamers without your favorite ambiguously gay duo: Is it _really_ the same show? And would the famed kiss in episode 26 have been shared by Jen and Takato instead if Hirokazu and Kenta weren't regulars? ...Probably, which I'm sure puts Taiki on the fence about their character status, now. Either way, Hirokazu and Kenta are two of my favorites for any season so I decided to include their accidental kiss as a running gag. Also, the "Kenta uses moutwash" gag was my favorite and Taiki's idea: He told me about a friend who went backpacking through Europe and did exactly what Hirokazu did for free food (going through Bakery dumpsters), I said something like "I could _so_ see Hirokazu doing that to the Matsuda Bakery" and it grew from there.

Also, I'm sure some people noticed that Koushirou's Mother shares one of the names I use for Takato's mother (I have conflicting sources on her name, it's either Mie or Yoshie and, in one case, I got "Amie" for her name) – This is actually her _canon name_ , same with Mr. Izumi's name as Masami. Adventure named a lot of the parents after their voice actors, which is Masami's case (He's voiced by Jyou's VA, Kikuchi Masami, and if you can: Check out the drama CD where he voices Jyou's whole family _including his Mother!_ ) while Yoshie is the name I got through a credits page. In the show, she's voiced by Araki Kae (Hikari's VA and Miaka from Fushigi Yuugi, among other roles). Their names are also listed on FFN's primary character options...Which I actually did _not_ know before searching for this information on my own, so yeah, there's three hours of my life I won't be getting back.

Yes, I know, if I actually know the name of the CCs\Tamers' parents I either have no life or _way_ too much time on my hands: You don't need to remind me, I'm sadly aware of this fact... _Very_ sadly.

Anyway, Koushirou's fic is pretty much what I thought a fic entitled "Heart Shaped Goggles" would be about. Originally, it was just a random title a few people asked about. I paired Kai with Juri just 'cause I know I've been _really_ mean to her in the past _._ Sorry, Juri, Taiki is _still_ reminding me how evil I was to you in They Called Upon A Midnight Buzzed. He won't let me forget about it or any of the stuff I've done to Takato _any time soon!_

When it came to Daisuke and Ken: I decided to cover Ken due to the "fall out of the closet" running gag with those two in HBtC.

A quick "What does that mean?" Note: Furigana is miniature hiragana\katakana that's placed over a Kanji symbol in manga that shows how it's read. This is often for kids' manga\advanced Kanji for the manga's audience or if the Kanji is using an alternate reading or the author uses a made-up reading, like the English translation of the Kanji – The last being really rare but it happens now and then for stylistic reasons. Mandarin Chinese has a similar system called Zhuyin (Also called Bopomofo, but honestly I prefer Zhuyin since the other term sounds more like some kind of slang insult...Probably the last two pairs of letters, seriously, say "Bopomofo" in an angry tone out loud and _tell me_ that doesn't sound like something a GTA protagonist wouldn't say when putting a gun to your head), which notes all possible ways a Hanzi can be pronounced including tones. This is used in Manhua and for teaching Hanzi. I _cannot read_ Zhuyin, so if you want a more detailed explanation go to Wikipedia.

-Agumon and food\having the biggest appetite among the partner digimon: Agumon's image song from the Best Partner CD series (#1, Taichi and Agumon), Agumon Ondo (Agumon March – _Sorta_ , an _Ondo_ is a particular type of "marching song." Pokemon even uses an Ondo for one of their endings, "Pokemon Ondo," compare it to Agumon Ondo to get a sense of the style), is Agumon singing about food and eating, pretty much. The other partners don't really bring up food in their songs. Also, Guilmon's song (Best Tamer #1) is"Guilmon March" _but_ it's not an ondo: It's spelled in katakana as _Maachi_ (March). It's a marching band-like song (compare it to Agumon's song, the styles are REALLY different).

Oh, yeah, the original version of the "YES! YES! YES! YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYEYES!" scene with Taichi: Originally, Taichi was a _lot_ more over-the-top in his reaction, I toned it down since I thought it was going a little overboard.

Finally, Ken's claim that Daisuke sent him an email that said "My Koi Fish Man Sword-chan." This seemingly random combination of words is an example of what happens if you use the wrong Kanji in an email.

Like I've said explained many times: Kanji = Chinese Hanzi. And Hanzi\Kanji = One Word. And in both languages (ESPECIALLY Chinese) there are LOTS of homonyms and, in Japanese, Kanji can have many different readings (example: Zhong\Middle...In Japanese this can be read as "Chuu" or "Naka," it depends on context, or for Death Note fans: The Kanji for moon can be read as Tsuki, Getsu or _Raito –_ The first two readings are contextual, _tsuki_ when referring to the actual moon, _getsu_ is used to refer to _months_ ).

So, In Daisuke's email, he uses the wrong Kanji for "Koi" (an alternate kanji for "Ai" or "Love") in the word "Koibito" (Means something along the lines of "Beloved" or "Sweetheart"), while he got the word "Hito" (Man\Person) right, he used the Kanji for "Koi Fish." Also, "hito" (person) is read as -jin when used to describe a race of people, like Nihonjin (Japanese person\people) or Chuugokujin (Chinese person\people). It's also the other character in Takato's name (-to), the "Taka" portion means "Open," so Takato means "Open Person."

Also on that note: I admit, it's sort of a stretch for Ken _not_ to realize who "Jenshirou Izuda" _really_ is, even suspecting he _is_ a Chosen Child through the Vamdemon crackfic (which is sort of a knock at my old depiction of him in my old _really_ bad comedy fics - Don't try to find them, they're terrible!) but...Let's just say Koushirou has _some_ level of deniability over how "obvious" he might be to the others (plus he feigns cluelessness when it comes to Digimon Tamers). Just don't think about it. I don't think about anything and that's made me the success I am now!

...Excuse me, I need to go cry in a corner for several hours now.

I also came up with an excuse for the Koushirou lookalike that appears in Tamers episode one as a scrapped idea from the studio to have the "original" Chosen Children show up in the background. I forgot about that when I first wrote HBtC so I covered it here.

Again, Taiki and I found it sorta funny that people were asking for a fic based on a random title I gave to a fic Koushirou wrote (that had absolutely no plot detail mentioned) _and_ his parents printed up thinking it was a school report...

...And then found out it was a gay romance fan fic their _son_ was writing! And thus, Koushirou began to learn the ancient martial art of kicking his own ass for his stupidity (this is a martial art I am very skilled at, too, Koushirou, so don't feel too bad).

I rank this as number three on my list of "Worst Ways To Out Yourself," #1 is being recognized in a "Guys Gone Wild" commercial that you don't remember _anything_ about because you were just _that_ _drunk_ at the time...

 **[EDITOR'S NOTE:** This is _so true!_ That is _the last time_ I ever go to Mardi Gras! –Taiki Matsuki]

[ _ **REAL**_ **EDITOR'S NOTE:** ORI! I DID _NOT_ WRITE THAT! I have never been to New Orleans and certainly never been that drunk! –Taiki Matsuki]

Since I'm sure he pointed out the above note was fake: Sorry, Twerp-chan, I couldn't resist it.

[ **EDITOR'S NOTE:** I'm sure, Ori, I'm sure! But I will not lie, I am honestly going to miss this sort of banter we do in our notes. Thank you for letting me re-upload your old fics and providing new ones, Ori. I'll keep an eye on the profile for your future work. -Taiki Matsuki]

Actually, once the "Koushirou writing a fic as plot\POV breaks" idea hit me, this was a _lot_ of fun to write, especially with the commentary by its writer\readers (or just doing things from a fan fic writer's POV that _isn't_ one of those "the cast reads and is horrified by fan fiction"-type of fics). And on a note with Koushirou's style:

One, he obviously doesn't use the Chinese character names like I do for Jen and his family...Or _does he?_ Since Koushirou (who would be speaking\"writing the fic" in Japanese) "wrote" the fic, he'd spell their names in Kanji and whoever read it would use the Japanese pronunciation of said Kanji. This is why during Masami's part of the story he mispronounces Jenrya as Genrya (like what happens a few times in Tamers – This is a common mistake if you don't know it's the reading for a Chinese name), which he'd do if he was unfamiliar with the show (so this wasn't a case, like, if he called it "Diggyman" instead of Digimon). It's also to add to the idea the fic is written by Koushirou, unlike Daisuke (for example) he'd probably know the Kanji for Jen's name and use it (Daisuke would use Katakana, so if his parents read it they'd know the proper way to pronounce Jen's name) instead of Katakana. This is something I tossed in since Koushirou's one of the smarter characters on the show, so I think he'd use Kanji over "the easier way." Granted, you only know this since I mentioned it but it's just something I thought of while asking myself "How _would_ a Jenkato written by Koushirou Izumi read?" I didn't want it to be first person POV like my fics, especially, since it had to have a different feel to it than the _other_ parts of the fic.

And on that "Genrya" mispronunciation note: The Izumi parents were _especially_ fun to write. Hehehe, Taiki, you _might_ be happy to know, I might be torturing Koushirou instead of Takato Matsuda for a while 'cause of that. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Like I said, Taiki and I have been joking about this ever since the second or third time someone said we should write\asked for details about "Heart Shaped Goggles" because...Well...It only existed as a title in an Adventure fic that turned _Tamers_ into an anime in their universe (which was kinda weirdly fun to do at the time since we've always done the opposite in our Tamers fics). Granted, it _was_ the fic that outted Koushirou to his parents so it does play a major role in the story. And, well, like a lot of things we joke about this turned into an actual fic (Taiki's a bad influence on me, _AS USUAL!_ ). But with this one, well, we liked that we had so many reviews\PMs asking about a fictional fan fiction (...Wait, what did I just type?) that's only mentioned by title.

Though, something tells me all the "Tamers Season 2" stuff I tossed into the narration is gonna have the same effect. I couldn't help it since, well, I _needed_ to make up a believable second season and all since Koushirou's fic was gonna take place during that one. And Kai seemed like a natural pick as "Tamers 2.0 Goggle Boy" (he's even got his own goggles!). And, since Digimon Tamers is the _only_ Digimon anime to exist in the Digimon Adventure universe (...I can't believe I typed that..Meta-stuff gets confusing!), the Goggle Boy naming tradition (TA-names) doesn't apply (or could be [X]A- names instead: TAkato, KAi, see what I mean? Or begin with the _second_ character in the previous goggle boys' name, taKAto = kaI = Ichirou or something, I dunno). The details like Apocalymon\Demon and "Corrupt Wild Ones," Juri being the "Card Dealer" and Kai creating his own Non-Hypnos affiliated group of (Aquatic – This is Kai Urazoe, after all, he's an Uminchu\Okinawan Fisherman and _damned proud of it!_ ) Tamers all kinda wrote itself whenever someone started talking about the show. The thing with him saving Takato from Hangyoumon (Divermon) just sprang from the fact it's a situation where Kai _would_ be the most useful\reliable character (plus he does this already for Takato _and_ Minami in Movie 5) and Jen would feel\be useless in.

Though, to be far to Jen: When he _can_ breathe underwater like episode 32, he took on a Hangyoumon on his own and beat it (Go Jen!), but this fact would probably _add_ to how useless he'd feel at that part because he couldn't do it _on Earth_. Kai? No problem (movie 5 establishes that he _is_ an experienced spear fisherman, just watch the original version: The dub cuts out a scene where he goes spear fishing for the octopus he and Takato eat in a later scene), especially if he's got a Seadramon on his side (Seadramon because the goggle boy _always_ has a dragon-type Digimon partner and, for Kai, it _had_ to be an aquatic Digimon).

But, still, if this fic was spawned just from a _title_ I made up on the spot, then that Tamers sequel might get the same kind of treatment Heart Shaped Goggles got...

...Hm...

...Crap. Gotta think of a way outta this one...

...Taiki's the one who wrote _ALL_ of the Tamers 2.0 stuff! He wrote it! Not me! I can't write a Tamers sequel fic because I did none of it! I only wrote the Adventure stuff and the fictional fan fic! So all requests for the Tamers sequel to be fully written out into a massive story should go to him!

Sorry, Taiki, but you know policy: When all else fails, blame Taiki. And then flee to Canada under the name Schtolteheim Reinbach III.

All right, fine, I'm just joking because I kept adding to the "season" for fun, especially when I got to the "Kai is a rogue Tamer that drives Yamaki insane" stuff. And Jen\Juri\Others _SCREAMING_ at him when his refusal to let Kai help out almost kills Takato – I played it both for drama and "evidence" for fans in-universe since a mailing list I used to be a part of during Adventure had people _constantly_ doing this with Taito and Jyoushirou. Also, the "hand hold" scene from the VenomVamdemon prophecy episode made _EVERYONE_ on the list go _insane_ screaming "THEY HELD HANDS! IT'S LOVE! THEY'RE IN LOVE!" Also, I don't think the dub's dialogue helped, the whole "Maybe I'll hang onto you...so you don't chicken out" thing (Thank you, Netflix, for giving me instant access to this scene) was a _little_ suspicious. I interpret it as this "Well, if I'm volunteering to be shot at with an arrow by the two strongest Digimon we have, I'm gonna _at least_ hold you damn hand before I die, Taichi!"

The _original_ prophecy from the Japanese version was even more blatant: "Arrows of true love will cause a miracle to happen and love will conquer evil."

(Okay, okay, sorry, Taito fans, I made that part up)

That and the "Hypnos commands the Tamers" thing came up a lot when Taiki and I would make up "what would happen in Tamers 2.0" stuff, we both thought that Hypnos would step in and "employ" the Tamers with varying degrees of malicious intent (from "you're free to do whatever you want just help us stop Wild Ones, please!" To "The Tamers have stepped too far out of line...Execute Order 66."). If people really wanna see this like they did "Heart Shaped Goggles" I'll...consider it. At the very least, I'll toss it in the pile along with "My Killer."

What's "My Killer?" Uh...I assure you it has absolutely _NOTHING_ to do with _another_ fic in our archive that starts with "My" if _that's_ what you think! Stop jumping to conclusions and making baseless assumptions! You know what they say about people who assume! It makes an ass out of some guy named Ume! Be nicer to Ume, he's cool! Ume lent me fifty bucks the other day, that's how cool he is! Why do people hate Ume so much? Stop calling Ume an ass!

Anyway, the whole "Koushirou's outted by a fic mistaken for a school project" thing is _sort of_ based on something my Mother did while I was in high school. No, she didn't find a slash fic or anything and print it up as an English assignment, I'm not _that_ stupid! Even back then!

Well, okay, that time I submitted a Taito as a last-minute creative writing project aside but...Damn it, I didn't have time to write something new and _really_ needed the grade! Oh, and the time I turned the last quarter of Christmas Dinner into a Christmas skit for Drama class, that was awkward for the two male leads...And the time I made a business card for "YAOI Dating Services Inc" using a screen cap of Jen and Takato as the "happy couple" for my computer class's "make a business card" final...And that time I read Akogare aloud as a creative writing assignme—Aw, ya know what? **** it! I _was_ that stupid! And my IQs only gone downhill from there...

...Again, if you need me I'll be crying in a corner and drinking something with a high alcohol content. _VERY_ high alcohol content.

Anyway, one morning, I was running late for school and had to print up a book report for English. I was in the shower and forgot to print it beforehand. Since I still had the file open on my computer, my mother was nice enough to print it for me and told me it was in my backpack, ready to go...

...And she also used spell check on it. And hit "correct all" for _everything_ (To quote my high school journalism teacher: " _ **SPELLCHECK IS**_ _ **NOT**_ _ **GOD!**_ _"_ ), which made the report...Well...Aside from any name spell check didn't recognize being changed to something random that was close to it (like my teacher's name, which became the name of a type of car). it also made parts... _unreadable_ in places (Especially in parts where, for example, "Cinema" was spelled as "Kinema," which was what was used in the book and things like that). I noticed this while looking it over on my way to school...I was _not_ happy but it was too late to fix it (English was my first period and I was already on the bus). So, yeah, that's where the "Koushirou's parents print up a 'school project' for him" idea came from, sans the misuse of spell check.

My teacher was forgiving enough to let me turn in the "correct" version the next day, but my grade was still lowered by a couple points because of it. Thankfully, it wasn't worth much of my final grade so I wasn't too upset about it.

Of course, that's _nothing_ compared to a friend of mine who did a paper on peanuts and made an embarrassing yet hysterical mistake when he misspelled "peanuts" throughout the entire paper that spell check came... _sorta_ close to (hint: It _wasn't_ the legume in question but could still appear on a high school biology paper if you know what I mean...). It was his own fault, though, he was a _horrible_ speller and the only time he _didn't_ hit the "Correct All" button without looking was when Spell Check came back saying, "There have been MILLIONS of dollars invested into my programming, turning me into the perfect piece of spelling and grammatical technology. I have pretty much every word in Webster's and its definition instantly accessible to me...And I cannot find a single word in the English language even _close_ to what the **** you just typed! Could you give m a clue, here?" (Seriously, this wasn't the first or last time this happened to him, just the most embarrassing and funniest).

About (Saint) Valentine's Day: I used this as a setting, even though it's freakin' Thanksgiving\Christmas time. Anyway, the reason is because of the candy Jen gives Takato: During Saint Valentine's Day in Japan (Yes, it's called _SAINT_ Valentine's Day in Japan, Japan likes to be super formal that way for some reason) girls give guys they like chocolate (Guys do the opposite for girls on White Day, which is in March) and, yes, it's often done with _romantic_ intent...So, Jen absent mindedly giving Takato _chocolate_ along with the strawberry* candy he knew Takato liked around Valentine's Day is more or less a candy coated coming out, especially with those goggles involved. Takato reading that far into the gesture wouldn't be all that unrealistic, I think.

Anyway, when listing candies I had to edit the name of one: Choco Bits. In Japan, these are little (tiny) cylinders of chocolate called "Choco Babies." I had a feeling anyone unfamiliar with this candy might be a little disturbed by the name (Tip: A lot of Japanese candy has weird names anyway, there's a drink out there called "Calpis" that, when you say it, sounds close to "Cow Piss," unlike what its name suggests it's actually pretty good!). I had a friend who _loved_ these things, by the way, they're really good. There's a Neapolitan version out there, too, but I forgot the name of it.

* = Before anyone asks, no, there is _nothing_ official about Takato and that weird love of strawberries I give him in, like, every fic since Midnight Buzzed. I have _no idea_ why but Takato strikes me as someone who loves strawberries, so it's just some weird character quirk I gave him in fics. Feel free to use it in your own work if you want!

Regarding World of Chaos, since Koushirou sets up Jenkato in this: All of the races listed are the Demi-Humans from the Suikoden series. I didn't want to use the ones from World of Warcraft. Speaking of WoW: Back around the time I wrote Hidden Behind the Computer, I set up a trial account for fun just to see what it was like and, for fun, created a character named Jenkato like Koushirou did (I wanted to know if the name was actually available). I deactivated the account after the trial period but now and then I'll reactivate it for a month with a gift card just out of pure boredom. If you see a Human Hunter named Jenkato with a pet Turtle named Takato: That's probably me...And sorry if I ignore you if you say "Hi," back then I didn't really pay attention to the chat box on the interface (I had enough trouble just keeping spells and fending off enemies organized the first time! I died more than the random NPC monsters did!). But, yeah, Jenkato is real! And I only had him wear blue armor to match Takato's hoodie. And I _think_ I gave him a spear, too, (I forget if Hunters can equip those) but that's less of a Dukemon reference and more for the fact spears are my favorite melee weapon in games (it's why Cid Highwind is one of my favorite FFVII characters...That and his dialogue, I ****ing _love_ Cid Highwind) so most of my WoW characters have one if they can equip them. And double for RPGs that have fully customizeable characters like SRPG generics...

...Disgaea is the _one_ exception since their Guan Dao-esque weapon (The Dragon Blade) is actually treated as a _sword_ instead of a polearm (though it has some rough analogues that work instead with the item\graphic changing option, plus they have crescent moon halberds like Lu Bu's _ji_ , so I'm still satisfied...Well, all that and exploding penguins, you can't go wrong with exploding penguins). The sword-thing is probably because the name "Guan Dao" means "Guan's Sword." Guan Gong's weapon's name is the Qing Long Yan Yue Dao (Green Dragon Crescent Moon Sword) and the blade of a guan dao is generally a _lot_ bigger and heavier than a simple spear head or the end of a halberd. It's a polearm but, for all intents and purposes, it's a _huge-ass sword blade_ at the end of a biiiiig stick.

Huh, suddenly I wanna see Cracked's view of Teddy Roosevelt have a friendly duel with Guan Gong...Damn, even _I_ don't know who to bet on in that fight.

"I speak softly but I carry a biiiiig stick."

"Well, I SPEAK LOOOOUUUUD! AND I CARRY AN EVEN **_BIGGER_** STICK WITH A SWORD AT THE END! AND I USE IT, TOO!"

(Yes, I realize I just turned Guan Gong into Yosemite Sam with that joke - I'm already going to Taoist Hell, I might as well enjoy the trip!)

I also want to comment, when it comes to WoC in this fic and Kanji, Taichi's "main" (Non-Shounen-ai fan-based) username TaIchiban is a pun on the Kanji spelling of his name. Kanji, as I've explained, are the complex symbols in Japanese writing that are originally Chinese Hanzi. Each symbol means one word. Taichi's name is spelled with two Kanji:

Ta = Fat\Round

Ichi = One

So Taichi's name means "Fat\Round One." "Fat" in this case is a _good_ thing, before food was widely available like today someone who was fat was obviously someone who could _afford_ to eat a lot and, thus, it implied wealth or, at least, access to a _lot_ of food. So naming your kid "Fat One" _isn't_ meant to be some sort of insult (Also insert Robot Chicken "Enter The Fat One" joke here). Also, in Chinese the Kanji\Hanzi would read as "Taiyi"

TaIchiban is a pun: Ichiban means "number one" or "The best." (Examle: "Taichi ga ichiban!" Means "Taichi is number one!") Taichi's name has nothing to do with Tai Chi (the marital art Jen practices) or anything like that. His name is pronounced more like "Ta-Ichi" than "Tai-Chi."

When it comes to other parts of WoC: I admit, I'm basing a lot of it on my limited experience with World of Warcraft. Two things in particular I wanna mention:

1\. "Fag!"  
"How'd you know?"  
"...Wha?"

I once waited for a dungeon to open up in WoW (some sort of in-game dungeon finder, it's been years I forget exactly how the feature worked) with this one player who, while we were waiting, turned out to be _insanely_ annoying (I try to be a nice guy in these games but...This guy was really getting on my nerves, turned out he was one of those "Internet Tough Guy" types) so I was thinking of just saying "Sorry, gotta run" but _just_ as I was about to the dungeon finder-thing found a party for us and...I was committed _until_ I got an idea:  
"Sorry but I gotta run! Something came up!"  
"Dude! The dungeon! What happened?"  
"My BF just showed up at the door." (Note: I was a male human mage...I think mage, either way: Male avatar).  
"BF? You're a girl?"  
"No."  
"WTF?"

...And I was suddenly uninvited to the dungeon party! I hate to say it but homophobia _does_ have its uses at times.

2\. Sexy Dancing Elf Girls

I don't know if this is still all that common these days but, yes, some female avatar players (usually elves for some reason, at least in my experience) _do_ strip off their armor and do the underwear dance in the middle of cities for money. I even had one follow me around, like Taichi describes, and beg for money...I just think is is kinda weird\annoying. I played WoW to kill monsters, not slip gold coins into Elven G-strings, damn it!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed "Heart Shaped Goggles" with Author\Parental\Friends' commentary! And special thanks to Taiki for help with Heart Shaped Goggles' plot, since a lot of it did come from joking around with him. And more special thanks to all the reviewers, too, this fic proves how inspirational you all can be!

Oh, and speaking of reviews: The gag with Jyou came at the last minute, I was re-reading HBtC for continuity's sake and remembered the bet Koushirou, Hikari and Taichi had about Jyou...So, I thought I might toss that in as a gag at the end with Koushirou reading his fic reviews.

-Ori

* * *

Taiki's Notes:

First, I would like to apologize for dropping off the face of the Earth. I became absolutely swamped with college and a part time job to where I had almost no time for the internet. Ori insisted I focus on my studies and work while he was "rebuilt" and recovered from all of the surgeries he had over the past couple years.

I am also sorry to say that I will be leaving this project as both school and work have left me with almost no free time. I wanted to leave with one final fic and after much discussion with Ori on which should be my "final fic," we decided on this one as its origin stood out so much as well as the fact it is the closest we have ever done to a full collaboration fic. Thank you, Ori, for finishing this story so I could say my goodbyes to FFN.

I will also say this fic has left me entertained. I enjoyed those little plot bits about "season two" of Digimon Tamers but I won't beg for it, Ori! Koushirou's fan fiction was entertaining, I'm very surprised you and I managed to come up with something that was once just a title and, as _you_ put it, "torture device" for Koushirou in another fic.

Honestly, I want to come up with a title like "Jenkato: A True Love Story" just see what could happen. I repeat "Jenkato: A True Love Story" or maybe something funny like "Osamu Ichijouji and The Digimon Kaiser's Excellent Adventure." Or a crime-drama like "Reservoir Tamers!" Need I _tell you_ why Kenta is Mr. Pink?

I simply want to toss those titles out there just to see what may happen. Thank you, readers, for all of your feedback over our time here and for the constant requests for this fic. I am sure Ori had quite the fun with it, I know I certainly did!

And, as I said in the original fic's notes: If I were confronted by my parents with a printed copy of one of Ori's fics, I would be _very_ unhappy with the ensuing chaos of "#3" on Ori's list. Not in the slightest. And as for #1? Um, _no_ comment!

Actually, no, I will make one comment. Do you think this is a possible way Hirokazu Shiota would be forced out in his college years? And what would Kenta say if he saw the commercial?

Thank you, Ori, for bringing us this rather interesting "format" for a "fic within a fic." Really, we had joked about _what_ would happen in "Heart Shaped Goggles" but Ori was the one who came up with the format. I rather liked it.

We hope you enjoyed Koushirou Izu—I mean "Jenshirou Izuda's" story (Nice choice of pen name for Adventure's #1 Jenkato fan, Ori). Does this mean I have to say it was uploaded with permission from _two_ authors, now?

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has ever reviewed or sent us a private message. Your feedback meant a lot to us and we both had a lot of fun with this project. I wish Ori the best of luck continuing it and hope his personal life picks up for the better. Best of luck to you, Ori. I will miss you and FFN very much.

-Taiki Matsuki


End file.
